ITALIAN FORMS OF ADDRESS AND TITLES: A CULTURAL SHOCK

Abstract

The article is devoted to the forms of address in the Italian language. They form an integral and important part of human speech behavior and frequently determine attitude toward the speaker in interlingual and intercultural communication. Several forms of politeness coincide both in Italian and Russian (form “tu”-you and “Lei”-You-respectful), but at the same time there are unique forms in Italian not exampled in the Russian language, complicating its learning and further practice. Yet another confusing communicative issue is a title added to a person’s name or surname. Thus a title “doctor” is used for any person holding a university degree; “professor” is relevant to those earning Ph.D., the same as “engineer, lawyer, and architect” for suitable occupations. Neglecting politeness formulas and addressing by incorrect titles may send cultural shockwaves when interacting with the Italians. These forms can be undoubtedly found in the educational literature but all their peculiar properties are left at the discretion of the professor. This work is to fll the gap and help the learners to look into the peculiarities of using the forms of address. The article is addressed to those who study this language and contact the Italians.