Свойства идиомы c точки зрения психо- и нейролингвистики

This article analyses idiom characteristics within the framework of the psycholinguistic paradigm and neurolinguistic experiments. The purpose was to describe and systematize the main properties of idioms relevant for the processing of such expressions by the brain, in particular perception, comprehension and production. Features suggested by both Russian and foreign researchers are considered. In addition, the problematic issue of terminology is addressed, as the terms often differ significantly between Russian- and English-language works. Due to the fact that Russian psycholinguists have paid less attention to phraseology, in this article the term idiom is used in accordance with the Western linguistic tradition, where it stands for a type of a phraseological unit whose meaning cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements. The results of the present study allow us to distinguish the following idiom characteristics: familiarity, frequency, conventionality, syntactic frozenness, decomposability, transparency, literal plausibility, predictability, and salience. Additionally, the research findings suggest that each of the abovementioned features may vary considerably among expressions, which drives us to the conclusion that idioms as a class are extremely heterogeneous. Furthermore, these characteristics directly influence idiom processing in the brain, which determines the time course of comprehension and accuracy of interpretation. According to the latest data obtained using neurolinguistic research methods, the degree of each feature’s manifestation in a given expression determines which brain region is activated and serves as the key factor contributing to hemispheric differences in idiom processing. The obtained knowledge about the processes occurring in the brain during perception, comprehension and use of idioms can be applied to improve the efficiency of teaching foreign languages and translation.