typology of speech genres

The article discusses a problem of analysis of a polycode (multimodal) text as a hybrid phenomenon. Complex semiotic systems, which imply simultaneous use of codes on the levels of graphics, sound and traditional text format, present a problem for analysis on the basis of standard, traditional methods typical for linguistics, text analysis and literary criticism. The article is focused on the genre of the cartoon.

The article deals with the intergenre factor in genre studies. It is proved that a description of almost any genre that claims to be adequate from almost any point of view must necessarily consider how the genre relates to other genres: in a narrow meaning, within various typologies, in a broad meaning – within a national genre sphere or a set of different national genre spheres.

The article discusses the legitimacy and appropriateness of using the concept of genre sphere in modern genre studies, by analogy with other “spheres” used in many modern humanities, for example, in conceptology. The author concludes that the genre sphere objectively exists, but the use of the genre sphere as a concept in genre studies also has objective pros and cons.