Communication Strategies in the Genre of English Academic Admissions Interview: Linguocultural Analysis

Introduction. The growing role of English-language education in the global academic space actualizes the study of communication strategies in the genre of admissions interview. The scientific novelty lies in developing a comprehensive matrix of communication strategies corresponding to the stages of the linguocultural script of academic interview with detailed linguistic manifestation and disciplinary specification. The aim is to identify and systematize candidates' communication strategies in English admissions interviews considering their pragmatic functions and cultural conditioning. Methodology and sources. The methodological framework draws on O.S. Issers' concept of communication strategies, genre analysis by C. Miller and J. Swales, and V.I. Karasik's theory of linguocultural scenarios. The empirical base comprises transcripts of 45 admissions interviews at Oxford and Cambridge universities totaling 70,000 words. Methods include discursive analysis, linguopragmatic analysis, and interpretative analysis. Results and discussion. Five main communication strategies with elaborate tactical systems were identified: analytical-argumentative (demonstrating critical thinking through logical argumentation and critical analysis), dialogical-cooperative (co-constructing knowledge with interviewer through epistemic openness), self-presentational-expressive (showing motivation through personal experience and emotional engagement), clarifyinganalytical (demonstrating intellectual precision through self-correction and meta-reflection), and focusing-adaptive (managing dialogue direction through thematic positioning). The correspondence between strategies and six stages of the linguocultural script was established: initiating, orienting, testing, summarizing, evaluating, and closing. Disciplinary specificity manifests in the dominance of analytical-argumentative strategy in humanities (68 % of occurrences) and dialogical-cooperative in exact sciences (73 %). Conclusion. The developed matrix of communication strategies extends O.S. Issers' typology for academic discourse, revealing the cultural specificity of the English-language context. The results have practical significance for preparing candidates for academic interviews and improving academic selection procedures in international education.

Authors: Irina M. Teplygina

Direction: Linguistics

Keywords: communication strategies, academic discourse, admissions interview, linguocultural script, English language

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