Is it worth going to study to become a philologist? Profession philologist. What personal qualities should a philologist have?

​Today, philology seems to ordinary people and representatives of technical professions as something ephemeral, not of serious importance and, as a result, unnecessary. And really, what does a philologist produce that is so useful for society? He doesn’t plow the land, he doesn’t stamp parts, he doesn’t write programs, but it’s something like “a player on the pipe.” But these smart and advanced techies would know how wrong they are!

Today philology seems to ordinary people and representatives of technical professions to be something ephemeral, not of serious importance and, as a result, unnecessary. And really, what does a philologist produce that is so useful for society? He doesn’t plow the land, he doesn’t stamp parts, he doesn’t write programs, but it’s something like “a player on the pipe.” But these smart and advanced techies would know how wrong they are!

Everywhere, absolutely everywhere, we need language. We communicate in language. We form a thought in language. Even when we tell a child: “Don’t touch the cactus, it’s prickly!”, we create a child’s picture of the world with the help of language.

Further more. Not only language surrounds us, but also text is the highest unit of language as a sign system. For example, a traffic light is also a text, because only by connecting three lights in unified system and having read its meaning, we calmly cross the road. In other words, language is not just a means of communication, but also a way of transmitting information. And here the level of language proficiency is very important so that it doesn’t turn out that you ask, for example, to bring you a “fur coat” (meaning salad), and they bring you fur clothes.

Who can help us become fluent in the language and make our lives easier? Who will interpret the texts and show how to get to their very essence? That's right, that same useless philologist we'll talk about today.

Who is a philologist?

– a qualified specialist who studies the spiritual culture of a particular people, expressed in language and enshrined in literary works (including in various written texts).

The name of the profession comes from the ancient Greek φιλολογία (love of words, love of learned conversations). Despite the fact that this profession appeared in Russia relatively recently, in the mid-19th century, it originated as a separate branch of activity back in the Renaissance. It was then that the science of philology arose, the main direction of which was the interpretation of biblical and historical texts. The first philologists collected fairy tales, like the Brothers Grimm, created encyclopedias, like Diderot and Montaigne, wrote grammars, like Mikhail Lomonosov (yes, he was not only a natural scientist, chemist and physicist, but also a philologist).

Note that philologist profession has such a broad concept that it can be divided into several narrow specializations at once: a teacher of the Russian language, a scientist studying the Russian language and domestic literary creativity, and an applied linguist - all these specialists can be called in one word “philologist”.

Yes, indeed, initially a philologist is a profession related to scientific activity. And the result of his activities is not immediate. But it is very important for a society that does not want to degrade to the level of a primitive communal one. The richer the literature, the more spiritual and moral the people who created it.

Thus, a literary philologist studies the structure, semantic connections, and cultural context of literary works. Ultimately, it shapes our culture and thus influences the spiritual life of society.

Applied linguists do everything related to the study of the structure of languages ​​and texts. We see the results of their practical activities, if not every day, then almost every day, logging into Google Translator, for example. It was developed by applied linguists, based on the systemic connections between thinking and language.

A philologist-scientist who studies the Russian language studies systemic connections in the language, units and their functioning, stylistics and norms of literate Russian speech. The practical results of his activities are the compilation of dictionaries, standard grammars, manuals for editors, journalists, and everyone who wants to master the literate Russian language. By the way, recently interest in literate Russian speech has increased. This is largely due to the fact that people have realized that language is part of their image, and the way they speak directly affects a person’s success. Large companies hire philologists to train employees in correct Russian speech, edit texts, and process translations. Language becomes a means of socialization and entry into society.

Philological teachers teach children the Russian language and literature, making it easier for them to enter the community of people, introducing them to culture, spirituality, and morality.

What personal qualities should a philologist have?

It's not difficult to guess that philologist's work requires impeccable knowledge of the Russian language, both oral and written. Therefore, a specialist must have a rich vocabulary and thoroughly master all the norms of the Russian language. In addition, he must show a pronounced inclination towards the humanities, and possess such personal qualities, How:

An applied linguist, no matter how strange it may sound, needs mathematical abilities, since both language is a system and mathematics is a system. It is not for nothing that applicants who want to become applied linguists take an entrance exam in mathematics.

Philologists have practically no health restrictions, with the exception of one thing: they experience enormous strain on their eyes. Glasses and a philologist are simply one whole. But most importantly, a philologist working with old books and manuscripts should not have allergies.

Advantages of being a philologist

Basics advantage of being a philologist in its versatility. A specialist can work in both secondary specialized educational institutions and research institutes, and in facilities mass media and social and humanitarian organizations.

Despite the seemingly low demand, philologists are needed today more than ever before. A particularly large shortage of philologists is observed in educational system In Russia, there is an acute shortage of Russian language teachers, both in schools and in secondary specialized and higher educational institutions. But a teacher-philologist is the most necessary specialty, because all other subjects are studied with the help of language. A Russian teacher won't teach you, and everyone else won't teach you.

We have already mentioned the importance of philologists in the compilation of dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference literature, as well as in the socialization of members of society, so we will not repeat it. Reading the advertising slogans of some companies, as well as store signs, you involuntarily understand that philological specialists are also very much needed in advertising agencies.

Disadvantages of the philologist profession

Talking about disadvantages of the philologist profession, first of all, it is necessary to note the disdainful attitude on the part of society. As we have already said, a philologist is considered a useless specialist who chose this profession only because he doesn’t need to do anything at work: just read books and study the origin and evolution of words.

They cannot boast of philologists and large salaries. According to statistics, the average monthly salary of philologists in Russia today is about 15-20 thousand rubles. Agree that this is negligible. Even the fact that philologists have great opportunities for additional income(for example, a tutor or proofreader). The fact is that to receive additional income you need to have a commercial “vein,” and language specialists are predominantly intelligent people for whom wealth is not a despicable metal, but the power of words.

Where can you get a philologist profession?

Get a profession as a philologist it is possible in almost any Russian university, since the corresponding departments operate on the basis of most universities and institutes in Russia. Let us emphasize that philology is a serious science, therefore it is not possible to master all its wisdom through self-education. However, independent expansion of the knowledge acquired during the learning process is only welcome. By the way, since philology is actively developing today, as a result of which new information about languages ​​appears almost every day, philologists have to constantly improve their skills.

When choosing an educational institution where you will study philology, it is recommended to pay attention not only to its location and the availability of a dormitory, but also to the composition of the teachers, scientific school, as well as the demand for university graduates among employers. That is, you need to strive to enter best philological universities in Russia, which include:

• Russian State Humanitarian University;
• Moscow State Pedagogical University;
• St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University named after. A.I. Herzen.

Reference

Philology as a science came to us during the formation of the Renaissance. It was then that scientific directions that dealt with the interpretation of texts with biblical or historical content began to come together. Therefore, it is logical that the word “philology” translated from Greek means “love of words, knowledge.” Some interpret the profession of a philologist as an activity in the study of ancient languages. There is partly some truth in this, since a philologist studies the origin, development and structure of a language, and performs written and oral translations from one language to another. But at the same time, a philologist should not be confused with a linguist. He studies the changes that have occurred in a language over a certain period of time. A philologist takes the source text and studies it, using preserved historical monuments.

Demand for the profession

Quite in demand

Representatives of the profession Philologist are quite in demand in the labor market. Despite the fact that universities graduate a large number of specialists in this field, many companies and many enterprises require qualified Philologists.

Description of activity

The activities of a philologist can be divided into two areas. This is a research activity where a specialist works on the creation of scientific works, reviews, and is engaged in the restoration and study of text. And practical activities. The philologist works in educational and cultural institutions, in the media, and in organizations engaged in social and humanitarian activities.

Uniqueness of the profession

Quite common

The majority of respondents believe that the profession Philologist cannot be called rare, in our country it is quite common. For several years now, there has been a demand in the labor market for representatives of the profession Philologist, despite the fact that many specialists graduate every year.

What education is needed

Higher professional education

Survey data show that to work in the profession Philologist You must have a diploma of higher professional education in the relevant specialty or in a specialty that allows you to work Philologist(related or similar specialty). Average vocational education not enough to become Philologist.

Job responsibilities

IN job responsibilities philologist includes: conducting research into the connections between ancient languages ​​and modern groups of languages, the origin and evolution of words, grammatical and linguistic forms; consulting on various issues of linguistics; development, review and preparation for publication scientific works, textbooks, methodological aids for learning languages, dictionaries, grammars, language classification systems; written translation fiction; written translation of scientific, technical, socio-political, economic and other specialized literature, patent descriptions, regulatory, technical and shipping documentation, materials of correspondence with foreign institutions and enterprises, as well as materials of conferences, meetings, seminars; preparation of annotations, abstracts, thematic reviews of foreign literature and scientific and technical documentation; carrying out work to unify terms, improve concepts and definitions in relevant branches of science, technology, National economy; development of methods for using computers and other equipment to increase the productivity and quality of translations; participation in the development of machine languages; interpreting from one language to another at international meetings, conferences, government meetings and similar events; preparation of scientific documentation and reports; performing related duties; management of other employees.

Type of labor

Exclusively mental work

Profession Philologist refers to professions exclusively mental (creative or intellectual work). In the process of work, the activity of sensory systems, attention, memory, activation of thinking and the emotional sphere is important. Philologists They are distinguished by their erudition, curiosity, rationality, and analytical mind.

Features of career growth

Opportunities for career growth there is little in the profession of philologist. However, a specialist with a philological education can work in the field of education as a tutor (Russian language, literature, foreign language), trainer (negotiation, public speaking), methodologist, writing specialist coursework. In the media field: journalist, reporter, production editor, Chief Editor, proofreader In the field of IT and Internet: technical writer, technical editor, content manager, SEO specialist.

Philology(from ancient Greek φιλολογ?α, “love of the word”) - common name several disciplines (literary criticism, textual criticism, linguistics, etc.) that study culture through text. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in Russian language and literature (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).

Short description

The importance of the philologist's profession is difficult to overestimate. “Language is more than blood,” wrote Victor Klemperer in “Notes of a Philologist.” 80% of a person's personality lies in his speech. Therefore, native language and literature are basic and compulsory subjects in schools. Teachers of these disciplines enrich our speech, shape our worldview, instilling a love for our native literature. Without knowledge of the language, the study of other sciences would be inaccessible. The history of a language is inseparable from the history of the people speaking it.

A philologist, as a duty of his profession, thoroughly knows the nature of language, its origin, historical development, functions, internal structure and classification. Linguistics is divided into general and specific, theoretical and applied.

General linguistics summarizes universal data for all languages.

Particular linguistics is the science of one language.

Applied linguistics is the application of linguistic knowledge in practice: teaching a language, creating textbooks and dictionaries, translating from one language to another. IN last years The use of mathematical apparatus in describing language in order to create special computer programs has become promising.

Theoretical linguistics is a research activity that consists of creating scientific works, reviews, restoration and study of texts.

Specifics of the profession

The work of a philologist involves the following types of activities, depending on the organization in which he works:

• scientific research into the connections between ancient and modern groups of languages, the origin and evolution of words, grammatical and linguistic forms;
• consulting on linguistics issues;
• development, review and preparation for publication of scientific works, textbooks, methodological aids for the study of languages, dictionaries, grammars, systems of language classifications;
• written translations of fiction, scientific, technical and various specialized literature;
• work to unify terms, improve concepts and definitions in various branches of science and technology.
• development of methods for using computers and other equipment to increase the productivity and quality of translations;
• participation in the development of machine languages;
• preparation of scientific documentation and reports.

Pros and cons of the profession

Pros:

• Versatility: the profession of a philologist gives the opportunity to work in a wide variety of organizations as a teacher, researcher, literary editor or translator (see the Career section).
• The work of a philologist is creative.

Minuses:

• low prestige of the profession in the modern world;
• small salary in the field of education and science.

Place of work

Research institutes, educational institutions (from schools to universities), media, publishing houses, editorial offices and libraries, public and cultural organizations.

Currently, philologists are successfully working in advertising business as copywriters, rewriters, speechwriters.

Personal qualities

• Correct oral and written language;
• broad outlook;
• rich imagination;
• analytical thinking;
• good hearing and memory;
• patience;
• scrupulousness;
• perseverance;
• attentiveness.

Salary

Salary as of 01/15/2020

Russia 15000—60000 ₽

Moscow 35000—90000 ₽

Career

The career of a philologist develops along the path of obtaining scientific titles or rising through the ranks from a simple teacher to a senior teacher, head of department, dean, or rector.

There are not many opportunities for career growth as a philologist. But this is compensated by the fact that a specialist with a philologist education can work in many areas and rise through the ranks. career ladder in related professions:

• in the field of education as a tutor (Russian language, literature, foreign language), trainer (preparation for public speaking, negotiations), methodologist, specialist in writing term papers.
• in the field of media as a journalist, reporter, production editor, editor-in-chief, proofreader.
• in the field of IT and Internet technologies as a technical editor or writer, content manager, SEO specialist.

Education

Universities

You can study to become a philologist at universities that have a philological department:

• Moscow Pedagogical State University
• Russian State Humanitarian University
• Moscow Humanitarian Pedagogical Institute, etc.

How foreigners perceive Russian speech.

It seems to me that Russian speech is something between the roar of a walrus and the melody of Brahms.

(Abe, accountant, UK)

The most amazing thing is that the Russian language can sound completely different: it all depends on the speaker and on what exactly is being said. In principle, if you wish, you can make the Russian language sound angelic... The Russian language is plasticine from which you can mold whatever you want.

(Batyr, photographer, Mongolia)

A highly emotional language, Russians put a lot of feeling and passion into intonation. Example: “Wow!”

(Chris, consultant, Corsica)

Like the sound of sandpaper scraping along a rough surface covered with a thin layer of varnish. And if we talk about provincials, then their Russian is scraping sandpaper on a rough surface without any varnishing at all.

(Mark, teacher, UK)

It's like the roar of a bus stuck in a traffic jam. “Yes-yes-yessssss.” And so - on an increasing scale.

(Israel)

The Russian language is like a poorly adjusted radio receiver: full of unnecessary rustles, crackles and creaks.

(Maria, translator, France)

A philologist is a language specialist who professionally works with text (a general name for a profession that allows you to choose any specifics in the future). Educational programs and specialties in the “philology” profile can be different: from Romance-Germanic philology to journalism. Typically, there are two areas of activity among them: applied and research. The first deals with issues in the use of language, and the second deals with its research.

Personal qualities

First of all, philology is suitable for those who love to study and work with languages. This requires attentiveness, good memory, and the ability to quickly assimilate information. Well-developed abstract thinking is necessary in order to well assimilate theoretical information in the required volume.

Philologist - who is this?

Firstly, this is a person with a higher education; it is not necessary to graduate from the Faculty of Philology; you can graduate from the Faculty of Pedagogy or Cultural Studies in this profile. Secondly, this is someone who is ready to work with any text that does not always meet personal interests. Thirdly, the applicant needs to know that the program of the faculties where they teach to be a philologist includes the study of dead languages ​​and an in-depth study of the history of literature. So, it turns out that a philologist not only studies a language and works with it, he speaks it professionally and expresses his qualified opinion on any issue.

The specialty of philology is available in large research, pedagogical and humanities universities. Training is carried out in full-time under a bachelor's program (4 years of study), after which you can enroll in a master's program (2 years) or complete part-time (5 years) and also enroll in a master's program.

Where to study

Faculty of Philology

Entrance exams: literature, Russian language, history - Unified State Examination, literature (intra-university written exam)

Passing score (2015, full-time): 375

Faculty of Humanities (School of Philology)

Entrance exams: literature, Russian, foreign language - Unified State Exam

Passing score (2015, full-time): 275

Institute of Philology and History

Entrance exams: literature, Russian language, foreign language - Unified State Examination

Passing score (2015, full-time): 263

Faculty of Philology

Entrance exams: literature, Russian language, foreign language - Unified State Exam, written exam (literature)

Passing score (2015, full-time): 271

Profession philologist

Pros and cons of professions

Career, places of employment

People with a philological education are most often required for the positions of “production editor”, “author of articles” and “copywriter”.

Where can you go to work with a philological education?

Since philology is a broad profile of training, it involves a variety of professional activities in the future. For example, a philologist can work in publishing houses, magazines, teach, work with archives, in libraries, engage in cultural and scientific activities, and write texts of various types. You can work as an editor, journalist, copywriter, translator, teacher or teacher, librarian, archivist, speechwriter.

Each of the works in its degree implies applied and research activities. For example, the professions “editor” and “translator” are for those who are equally passionate about text research and its application; for those who like the scientific path, “teacher” and “author of articles” are suitable; for comparison, “journalist” and “speechwriter” are more suitable associated with the applied use of language.

Different professions are needed, different professions are important. exists in the world great amount a variety of professions. Choosing a future is a very important decision in the life of every teenager or applicant. After all, in order to subsequently obtain a certain profession, you will first need to pass special training V vocational school or at a higher education institution, which will allow you to gain the necessary skills for your future job.

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But this choice most often represents a difficult practical test for any young person. And the problem lies not even in the fact that sometimes there is a certain pressure from relatives, or a choice possible options may be too big. Sometimes young people just don't always understand well What are certain professions?, don't know where to get it necessary knowledge, or they doubt the advisability of spending money on training in a specialty that turns out to be unclaimed.

This article will talk about what the profession of a philologist is, who a philologist is, where to study to become a philologist, what subjects a future philologist will need to take, and what kind of work a person who has received the specialty of a philologist after college can do.

Philologist - what kind of profession is this?

Not everyone can say with certainty what the profession of a philologist is, but practically anyone can immediately guess what the study of this specialty involves. Philology deals with the study of language, words. You can make one out of this important conclusion: language is a means of communication, an instrument of interaction in society, therefore learning a language and mastering it perfectly can create certain conditions for realizing one’s potential, using the acquired skills in a certain professional activity. But more on that later. To begin with, it is worth defining the essence of the philologist’s profession.

You can become a philologist after receiving an appropriate education at a humanities institute. As you might already guess, training is carried out at the Faculty of Philology. The following will indicate the areas of humanitarian knowledge in which specialization is carried out:

• Translators;
• Teachers;
• Publishing activities;
• Scientific activity.

It is logical that the functionality of a graduate of the Faculty of Philology in his specialty will subsequently be in demand in the areas that were indicated above. There are times when a liberal arts education turns out to be insufficient to obtain a certain profession or achieve career growth. In such situations, many graduates of philological faculties receive additional higher education, relating to the exact sciences - social, technical, natural sciences. In Moscow you can find work in various specialties.

Teaching profession

Most people, when asked “what do philologists do?” They immediately answer that they are engaged in teaching. This is the most common opinion that most philologists become teachers after graduating from university. And it is worth saying that, in principle, this opinion is not erroneous.

As everyone knows, Russian language and literature is one of the main disciplines and is subject to mandatory certification after receiving incomplete and secondary education. It is imperative to take into account the fact that Unified State Exam results(Unified State Exam) are certainly taken into account when the applicant enters the institute.

The profession of a philologist is very in demand, since a person with this specialty always has the opportunity to get a job as a teacher of Russian language and literature in secondary or higher educational institutions. The salary of a language and literature teacher depends on the level educational institution, as well as from the rate. Do not forget that wages are affected by both the length of experience and the level of hourly workload. If we look at the national average, the salary of a Russian language teacher varies from twenty to forty thousand rubles, depending on the region. It is not difficult to guess that the work of a philologist in Moscow will be paid better.

Philologist-translator

Profession of philologist-translator is in high demand on the Russian labor market. A philologist-translator has not only extensive knowledge in the field foreign language, but also masters the methods of literary, simultaneous and technical translation. Along with being in demand, this profession has other advantages and disadvantages. However, every profession has them. Another plus is the size wages which exceeds the national average. Working as a philologist in Moscow will have the highest salary prospects.

Don't forget also about the disadvantages of this profession. Simultaneous translation involves very high level tension and responsibility. The need to quickly and accurately translate a speaker's speech requires strong attention, quick thinking, and good reactions. All this, coupled with excellent knowledge of the language, allows you to simultaneously translate words literally on the fly. All this responsibility cannot but affect the psycho-emotional state of translators. The second disadvantage of the profession is the amount of wages, which cannot fully compensate for the waste of nerves and effort. In addition, certain jobs require additional study of an area of ​​the language containing special terms and expressions.

Philology in scientific activity

Philology is also in demand in the field of research of the subject of science for the study of phenomena occurring in the process of formation and formation of language. Philology is necessary when studying the ontology of language.

Studying the phenomenology of literature is only one of the facets scientific research. A reader ignorant of this may ask a completely logical question, which is what value is the practical study of the phenomenology of literature. The answer can be as follows: the word is a tool of communication, and the word is formed under the influence of processes and phenomena that affect the formation of new words, as well as changes in existing ones. By studying the history of the origin of the word, you can better learn about the formation of the human personality, the development of society, changes in people’s thoughts and judgments.

Publishing activities

Publishing activity means production, organization and subsequent distribution of printed materials. This refers to any form in which this product can be produced. Philology and linguistics in this area are very, very in demand. This specialty is required at the following possible stages of a philologist’s activity:

The work of a philologist involves working with words, with text.. The creation, editing and preparation of material requires a person with a philological education to use his skills. Publishing houses need philologists as specialists in their field. For a person who consciously entered the Faculty of Philology in order to master all the necessary skills in working with materials, publishing will become a job that he will enjoy, and will not become a burden on him. In Moscow there are prospects for finding a job for a person with good knowledge of philology and linguistics wages. So Moscow applicants should not worry about possible problems with employment.

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