LINGUISTIC FEATURES OF TEXTS FOR COMPANIES IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY: A CASE STUDY OF YANDEX CORPORATION

ABSTRACT

This article examines the lexico-grammatical structure of texts created for various purposes—such as advertising materials, corporate documents, user interface texts, etc. An important aspect of the research is the analysis of the use of specific terms and expressions characteristic of the information technology field, as well as the distinctive stylistic features and communication focus within these texts.

Keywords: website, PR text, structure, goals, linguistic features, IT industry, IT texts.

In the context of the development of information technologies and the increasing consumption of digital content, the linguistic features of texts for companies in this industry are becoming increasingly important. Companies like Yandex play a significant role in the development and provision of information technologies; therefore, effective communication with users through texts is a critical success factor. According to A. Krivonosov, a press release is defined as "an official message issued for publication in the media or distribution through broadcasting channels by the headquarters and press offices of various organizations" [2, p. 64]. A. Zverintsev refers to a press release as "a small organizational document intended for the press that contains a timely message" [4, p. 135].

Yandex Corporation is one of the leading Russian companies in the field of information technology and search engines. One of its key strategies is direct communication through official Yandex channels. The company maintains an active presence on social media platforms such as Facebook*, Twitter*, and Instagram*(социальные сети, запрещенные на территории РФ, как продукт организации Meta, признанной экстремистской – прим.ред.), where it interacts with users, answers their questions, and provides news and information about its products. A distinctive feature of Yandex Corporation is its active use of both Russian and English languages in its products and services.

Currently, the company offers various online services such as search, maps, weather, and taxi services, while also developing artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and other next-generation products. IT texts are characterized by generalized-personal, indefinite-personal, or impersonal constructions, which allow one to "eliminate" the specific actor: "We strive to help you find the right direction..."; "It is said that the technology underlying the network represented a network of systems provided by suppliers...". Analyzing Yandex's language choice reveals that the company approaches this matter strategically, prioritizing languages based on regional characteristics and consumer needs. This strategy allows the company to attract more users and improve their experience with Yandex products and services.

Language in corporate communication is used to convey information, express thoughts and ideas, discuss issues, and seek solutions [1, p. 65]. It also plays an important role in shaping and maintaining a productive atmosphere within the team. The use of clear and precise language facilitates productive communication and minimizes potential misunderstandings and conflicts.

The IT texts studied in this paper address pressing issues in modern information technologies and can be classified as both journalistic and scientific styles based on several parameters. Two main genre-forming factors were identified that influence the selection and organization of linguistic means: information redundancy and the lexical-grammatical closure of the text [3, p. 151].

In the IT industry, it is especially important for the information conveyed through textual messages to be clear and precise. For this purpose, standardized language templates (clichéd phrases) are often used, such as "according to experts," "based on our forecasts," "hard to say," "according to recent studies," "within the framework of the server," "allowing small businesses to do something," "going hand in hand," "at the same time," and "to add to this issue." For example, "According to experts, this indicates that cybercriminals have started to devote less time and attention to targeted attacks"; "Based on our forecasts, this trend will continue until the end of 2023." The technical information conveyed by programmers, engineers, and other specialists must be understandable to all stakeholders. Uncertainty or misunderstanding of terms and concepts can lead to errors and problems in software development or the implementation of technical solutions.

There is a vast amount of specialized technical vocabulary and jargon in the IT industry, including terms like commit, conf, crutch, rollback, Python, layout is off, IP, update, algorithm, database, adaptive, beta tester, bin, gate, dry, save, padawan, interview, sprint, feedback, feature, hacker, CMS, check, use, programming language (YAP), JavaScript, subject, readme, relocation, PHP, to reduce, navbar, middle, legacy, copy-paste, and iteration. For instance, "To master Python, you need to start with..."; “The main goal of application development is to get feedback from users"; "Continuously check relevance and review feedback." The use of such vocabulary and jargon can significantly complicate the understanding of the text for a broader audience. Therefore, these terms should be explained and placed in context to eliminate any possible misunderstandings.

In the IT industry, texts are often written for different target audiences, such as software developers, managers, users, and other stakeholders. Thus, it is important to take into account the differences in understanding and to engage audiences with varying levels of technical literacy. When writing for specialists, excerpts of code may be included to illustrate examples or explain certain concepts: "for i in range (10): print(i) – Python language." Additionally, there is a noticeable active use of English, especially in terminology and product names: "software," "cloud computing," "big data."

In the IT field, it is necessary to convey a large amount of information within a limited amount of text. Therefore, IT texts frequently use abbreviations and acronyms, such as "ADSL" (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), "HTML" (Hypertext Markup Language), "CPU" (Central Processing Unit), "API" (Application Programming Interface). Brevity and efficiency become important qualities of IT texts to avoid information overload and ensure that readers receive only the most relevant and necessary information. Writing concise and precise texts requires a good understanding of the subject area and the ability to express complex ideas clearly and succinctly.

Texts in the IT industry are typically structured according to certain formats and logical chains:

- Introduction;

- Description of the actions performed by the function;

- Returned value (if applicable);

- Example of the function's use;

- Conclusion;

To enhance logical connections between sentences, special fixed expressions are used, such as "in summary," "as we have seen," "we have considered so far," "speaking," "moreover," "essentially," and "regarding the growing attention." Adverbs can serve the same purpose: "again," "finally," "thus," "as a result," "previously." IT texts also contain clear structural blocks such as "Main Menu," "Control Elements," "Objects," etc.

Thus, it can be concluded that contemporary texts in the IT field are, on one hand, written in an accessible language, while on the other hand, they maintain a coherent exposition, semantic precision, informative richness, and appropriate terminology. IT texts present a significant interest for study and analysis, as they are standardized, possess their own individual characteristics, and are appealing from a stylistic perspective.

References:

1. Balakhonskaya L.V. Press release, internet release, social media release, and informational letter// PR-text: structure, content, design. 2015. Chapter 3.1.1. pp. 64-69. // https://jf.spbu.ru/upload/files/file_1443167696_1952.pdf (accessed on 01.11.2023)
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3. Ryzhensko E.S. Linguistic features of press releases on the internet// Bulletin of Volgograd State University. Series 2: Linguistics. 2013. No. 1. pp. 150-155. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/yazykovye-osobennosti-press-relizov-v-internete-1 (accessed on 01.11.2023)
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