1. Course Programme
Proper Names in Cross-
Cultural Communication

2. The goals of the course
 1. Develop students' cross-cultural communicative
competence through discussion and analysis of
current issues.
 2. Present students with different types of proper
names analysis and its value for cross-cultural
studies.
 3. Encourage students to see cultural and historical
traces in proper names and their influence on
modern naming strategies.
 4. Discourage misunderstandings due to cultural
differences, stereotyping, and prejudice.

3. Requirements
 Submit a written analysis of a name construction and
function in modern discourse (as a material may
serve a novel, a newspaper, a film, advertisements
in a particular field and so on).
 Make an oral presentation of the analysis.
 Prepare a name quiz based on one of the discussed
topics.
 At the end of the 2nd term to submit a course paper.
 Regular attendance and active participation.

4. Grading Techniques
Course participation - 30%
Presentation - 20%
Paper - 30%
Quiz (1st term)/Search Task (web quest, hot
list, multimedia scrapbook) (2nd term) - 20%

5. Sample Syllabus
Week 8 – 24.11
 Names as a reflection of social status. Name
fashion. Brands around us.
 Do the quiz “Trade names”.
 Read the story “The Bottom Line and the
Sharp End” by Fay Weldon.
 Make up your quiz!
 Presentation.

6. Possible topics for presentation
1. The role of personal names in P.G. Wodehouse’s
works.
2. Nickname as a main concept of the novel “Run,
Rabbit” by J. Updike.
3. Status names in the novel “The Devil Wears Prada”
by L. Weisberger.
4. Allusion in modern advertising.
5. Proper names as cultural symbols in modern press.

7. Possible themes for written papers
1. How does the name express the personality in the story “The
Bottom Line and the Sharp End” by F. Weldon?
2. Names speak louder or how is the social status reflected in
proper names in the novel “The Devil Wears Prada” by L.
Weisberger?
3. Changing a name – changing a personality: how does the
change of names express the change of personal character in
the novel “Room At the Top” by J. Braine.
4. Attitude to your name – attitude to yourself: cultures and names
in the novel “White Teeth” by Zadie Smith.
5. How does the change of attitude to a person influence the
perception of his name in the story “Mr Know All” by W.S.
Maugham?

8. Useful Internet Links
 Books
Ермолович Д.И. Имя собственное в межкультурной коммуникации
http://www.speakrus.ru/dict/ermolovich-names-pt1.pdf
 Directory inquiries
Библиография по поэтической ономастике
http://planeta-imen.narod.ru/litonomastika/bibl2.html
 Scientific articles
Имя: внутренняя структура, семантическая аура, контекст: Тезисы
международной научной конференции.
http://www.inslav.ru/images/stories/pdf/2001_imia_1.pdf?
db8adf65b129933cb3579617fe984365 Часть 1
 Articles to enjoy
Интересные статьи по именам http://www.listname.ru/articles/index.html
 Sites on onomastics societies
http://www.onoma.newmail.ru/index.htm Ономастика России