COGNITIVE AND PRAGMATIC ASPECTS OF ACTUALISING THEMATIC VECTORS IN ENGLISH CHILDREN’S NONFICTION

Abstract

The article deals with the cognitive and pragmatic aspects of actualising thematic vectors in English nonfiction for children as an important factor in shaping children’s worldview. Children’s nonfiction discourse is considered as a multifunctional cognitive and pragmatic space within which scientific knowledge is adapted according to the age and cognitive abilities of younger readers and integrated into their personal experience. The aim of the work is to identify the main thematic vectors that organise the content of English nonfiction for children and to analyse the features of their representation, taking into account the cognitive and pragmatic parameters of the text. In the course of the study, universal, multi-thematic, and monothematic publications were identified, differing in the scope and depth of thematic representation. Analysis of the material under research revealed the key thematic vectors of children’s nonfiction discourse, namely, learning about the environment, learning about one’s own identity, overcoming problems and fears, motivation for development, and promoting sustainable development goals. It has been shown that these vectors can be either explicitly represented in the title and subject matter of publications or implied through the description of life situations, emotional states, and behaviour patterns. Particular attention is paid to the role of lexical markers, narrative strategies, personalisation, and positive outcomes, which enhance the pragmatic impact of texts and contribute to the formation of children’s value orientations. The thematic organization of the publications under analysis appears as a coherent system of interrelated meanings focused on the comprehensive development of the children’s audience. Thus, thematic vectors perform the function of semantic dominants, ensuring the integration of scientific knowledge, educational potential, and emotional involvement, as well as contributing to the development of cognitive skills, emotional competence, and social responsibility of younger readers in the process of interacting with the text.