Phraseological Units as a Reflection of Ethnic Stereotypes in Spanish Culture and Professional Activities

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to give an overview of phraseological means incorporating ethnic allusions in the framework of the Spanish world model as a whole, and in professional activities in particular. The author proceeds from the premise that the professional education of participants in international processes should attach critical importance to the awareness of the nation’s associative thinking, especially as it relates to ethnic stereotypes, for ensuring successful interethnic relationships. The Spanish perception of their own national character, as well as that of other nations, is exemplified by numerous ethnically coloured phraseological units. Special attention is paid to ethnically orientated idioms referring to various professional activities. The author also considers the historical basis of the motivations behind ethnic allusions in Spanish phraseology, and the semantic and evaluative features of the phraseological units in question.

The following conclusions are made:

• ethnically related allusions in the Spanish phraseological world model are distinguished by specific images and stereotypes which are determined by the historical and cultural experience of native speakers;
• in terms of structural modes, phraseological units with ethnonyms follow the universal patterns of set phrases ranging from word combinations to complete sentences;
• the evaluative connotations of such units do not always allow us to reliably judge the national and ethnic stereotypes as such; many ethnically coloured images in Spanish idioms appear paradoxical, rather than reflecting the stereotyples that have developed due to objective reasons.