The image-modelling role of the metaphor in educational discourse

Today the image of the city has not been studied sufficiently. However, there are a number of works about methods of constructing region's image in Russian linguistics. In these researches we can find a detailed analysis of advertising and communication technologies, which can be used in the creating of region's or country's images. Basing on generalization of theoretical works on the problem of researching the regional image-making, the author distinguishes a number of factors, which can cause changes in region's image, and which can be applied to the study of the city's image. Among them are: the political specificity, economic features, intellectual and human resources, research and innovation. The latter two components are dominant for the image of Tomsk. That is why in this article we considered the educational discourse of the city, in particular, the discourse of higher education institutions. This article gives the analysis of the specific metaphorical models, using which journalists form the image of universities in media texts. This article also raises the question of how the image of the university influences the image of the city. The material for the study included 74 publications varying in genre, selected from a specialized weekly "Поиск" (Poisk, "Search"). We analysed 49 metaphors. Among them are floral, military, physiological, mechanical, sport, space and physical metaphors, those of kinship, of home. All these metaphors represent Tomsk as a city with a mature and developing scientific community, where young scientists ''grow''. In newspaper texts Tomsk is compared with a large sturdy house with a solid foundation; all its inhabitants are in close mutually beneficial relations of cooperation, or even kinship. The newspaper creates the image of a city with a competitive and innovative environment, the center of "educational universe" in Siberian region. It is surrounded by a range of customers and partners. Tomsk looks like a strong city, the strength of which is in the research potential of young professionals coming to Tomsk universities to get higher education and to work here successfully. Also the studied texts show the relationship between universities and industrial enterprises of Tomsk. These relationships help journalists to model the image of Tomsk as a city with a developed economy.

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