Lacunary vocabulary and its impact on understanding a foreign language text

The aim of the study is to identify and describe interlanguage gaps identified when comparing Russian and Chinese at the lexical and terminological level of the specialty language in landscape architecture, their impact on understanding a foreign language text, taking into account the place of the lacuna in the semantic structure of the text, the typology of lexical lacunae, and the number of lacunae in the text. As part of the study of lexical units in the field of design, professional words and terms in Russian in the field of landscape architecture and the basics of landscape design were identified and analyzed. The scientific novelty of this study lies in its first examination of professionally oriented lexical lacunae identified in a comparison of Russian and Chinese languages in the field of landscape design. The problem of lacunarity is considered as a pedagogical issue, unlike previous studies that focused on a purely linguistic approach. As a result of the study, it wa s found that professional lacunary vocabulary, its type and quantity directly affect the completeness, accuracy and depth of perception of information in the text by foreign students. The large amount of lacunary vocabulary in a single text or sentence increases the difficulties in students' understanding of the text being read.

1. Minervin GB. Design. An illustrated dictionary-reference. Moscow; 2004 (in Russ).

2. Golovkin BN. English-Russian and Russian-English dictionary of landscape design and ornamental horticulture. Moscow; 2008 (in Russ.)

3. Zhang Jianhua. New Russian-Chinese dictionary. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press; 1998 (in Chinese).

4. Kuznetsov SA. Large explanatory dictionary of the Russian Language. St. Petersburg; 2000 (in Russ).

5. Ozhegov SI. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian Language: 100,000 words and phraseological expressions. Moscow: Mir i obrazovanie; 2023 (in Russ).

6. Krysin LP. Explanatory dictionary of foreign words. Moscow: Russkiy yazyk; 1998. (in Russ).

7. Tikhonov AN. New word-formation dictionary of the Russian language for everyone who wants to be literate. Moscow: AST; 2014 (in Russ).

8. Shirshov IA. Explanatory word-formation dictionary of the Russian language. Moscow: AST; 2004. (in Russ).

9. Vasileva VA, Golovnya AI, Lazarev NN. Landscape design of a small garden: a textbook for universities. Moscow: Yurayt; 2025 (in Russ).

10. Sokolskaya OB, Teodoronskiy VS. Specialized objects of landscape architecture. Design, construction, maintenance. St. Petersburg: Lan'; 2022 (in Russ).

11. Bayramova LK. Linguistic lacunar units and lacunae. Bulletin of Chelyabinsk State University. Philology. Art History. 2011;240(25). Issue 58 (in Russ).

12. Barkhudarov LS. Language and translation (issues of general and special theory of translation). Moscow: Lenand; 2023 (in Russ).

13. Vereshchagin EM, Kostomarov VG. Language and culture. Moscow: Indrik; 2005 (in Russ).

14. Gabdreeva NV. Phenomenology of lacunarity in structurally diverse languages. Metaphysics. 2022;45(3) (in Russ.).

15. Gabdreeva NV, Kalinina GS, Mukhametshina RF, et al. Lacunae in Russian, Tatar and Arabic. Philological Sciences. Scientific Reports of Higher School. 2024;1(5):43-50 (in Russ).

16. Gachev GD. On national worldviews. Peoples of Asia and Africa. Moscow. 1967;1 (in Russ).

17. Danilchenko TYu. The concept and essence of lacunae. Science. Art. Culture. 2014; Issue 3 (in Russ).

18. Kuznetsov VG. Lexical lacunae and the limits of translatability. Vestnik of Moscow State Linguistic University. Humanities. 2017; Issue 9 (in Russ).

19. Popova ZD, Sternin IA. Language and the national worldview. Voronezh: Istoki; 2003. (in Russ).

20. Larina TV, Ozyumenko VI. Lexical gaps and culture specific vocabulary as a source of cultural information. Russian Studies. 2013;(4) (in Russ).

21. Sternin IA. Contrastive linguistics: problems of theory and research methodology. Moscow: Vostok-Zapad; 2006 (in Russ).

22. Babaylova AE. Text as a product, means and object of communication in teaching a non-native language. Saratov: Saratov University Publishing House; 1987 (in Russ).

23. Inkova OYu. On the contrastive method in linguistic studies. Moscow University Bulletin. Series 9. 2022;(6) (in Russ).

24. Moskovkin LV. Didactic foundations of the theory of methods for teaching a non-native language. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg University Publishing House; 2021 (in Russ).

25. Zhipin H. Associative reactions of russians and chinese in the aspect of lacunarity. Perm University Herald. Russian and Foreign Philology. 2015;1(29) (in Russ).

26. Vinay JP, Darbelnet J. Comparative stylistics of French and English. Paris: Marcel Didier; 1958. (in French).

27. Ozhegov SI. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. Moscow: AST; Mir i Obrazovanie; 2021 (in Russ.).

28. Ganshina KA. French-Russian dictionary. Moscow: Russkiy yazyk; 1979 (in Russ).

29. Chernykh PYa. Historical-etymological dictionary of the modern russian language: In 2 vols. Moscow: Russkiy yazyk; 1999. 3rd ed. stereotype. Vol. 2. (in Russ.).

30. Stypuła R, Kovaleva GV. Polish-Russian dictionary. Moscow–Warsaw: Russkiy yazyk – Wiedza Powszechna; 1980 (in Russian, French, Polish).

31. Dormidontova OA, Shkatova VV. Semantics of the color white in Russian and French. In: Neology and neography of modern European languages: Proceedings of the international scientific conference. Moscow, 2024 (in Russ.).

32. Popova MD. Shades of snow in the Evenki language. Modern Science: Current Issues of Theory and Practice. 2019;(9):181-182. (in Russ).

33. Bozhedonova AE. Horse coat color naming in the yakut language as a method of color designation: system and structure Summary of Candidate’s dissertation (Philology). Kazan, 2025 (in Russ).

34. Retsker YaI. Theory of translation and translation practice. Essays on the linguistic theory of translation. Moscow: R. Valent; 2007 (in Russ).

35. Popova EE, Semenova MYu. Non-equivalent terms and their rendering in the translation of special texts. PNRPU Linguistics and Pedagogy Bulletin. 2016;(2) (in Russ).

36. Sapir E. The grammarian and his language. Languages as a worldview. Moscow: AST; St. Petersburg: Terra Fantastica; 2003 (In Russ).

37. Kurdyumov VA. Chinese language course. Theoretical grammar. Moscow: Tsitadel-tred; Lada; 2005 (in Russ).

38. Solntsev VM. Introduction to the theory of isolating languages: in connection with the general features of human language. Moscow: Vostochnaya literatura; 1995 (in Russ).

39. Khamatova AA. Word formation in modern Chinese: a monograph. Moscow: VKN; 2022 (in Russ).

40. Zhao Mingyu. Russian-Chinese construction dictionary, Beijing : China Architecture & Building Press; 2008. (in Chinese).

41. Great Russian-Chinese dictionary of the new era. Lexicography Institute of the Center for Russian Language, Literature and Culture Studies, Heilongjiang University. Beijing. The Commercial Press. 2019. (in Chinese).

42. Dakukina TA. Full and accurate understanding of original foreign-language texts of a cultural and regional studies nature. Philology. Theory & Practice. 2013;29(11): Part II (in Russ).