Linguistic Aspects and Stylistic Features of Text Adaptation

Authors

  • Manshuk Mambetova

    Turkology and Theory of Language Department, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan

  • Bibikhan Myrzabek

    Turkology and Theory of Language Department, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan

  • Kamar Aldasheva

    Academician Kirabaev Kazakh Language and Literature Department, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan

  • Perizat Medetbekova

    Turkology and Theory of Language Department, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan

  • Aiman Kamzina

    Turkology and Theory of Language Department, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan

  • Adil Absattar

    Kazakh and Russian Languages Department, K.Satpayev Kazakh National Technical Research University, Almaty 050013, Kazakhstan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11237
Received: 24 July 2025 | Revised: 7 August 2025 | Accepted: 26 August 2025 | Published Online: 22 October 2025

Abstract

This article explores the linguistic and stylistic aspects of text adaptation, emphasizing the need for lexical, grammatical, and syntactic modifications when tailoring texts for various audiences. A central focus is the preservation or alteration of stylistic features during the adaptation process. The study examines scientific, literary, journalistic, and official texts, analyzing how they are linguistically transformed for improved accessibility. Linguistic adaptation involves adjusting language structures to the reader's or listener's level, while textual adaptation refers to broader modifications aimed at maintaining the semantic, stylistic, and structural integrity of the original text. Linguistic and textual adaptation are presented as interrelated phenomena in modern linguistics and communication theory. The article discusses how these adaptation function in different socio-cultural contexts, with linguistic adaptation focusing on pragmatic, semantic, and syntactic aspects, and textual adaptation targeting audience-specific adjustments. The article also analyzes various approaches and strategies for adapting texts based on language proficiency. As a practical application, Ybray Altynsarin's story Jaman joldas (Bad Comrade) is adapted for A1 and B1 levels, followed by a comparative analysis of the original and adapted versions. This case study illustrates key features and effectiveness of both adaptation types. Finally, the study addresses the role of authentic versus adapted texts in language learning, underscoring the importance of balancing accessibility with textual integrity. The findings underscore the significance of adaptation in language teaching and translation, offering insights for researchers and educators.

Keywords:

Linguistics; Text; Linguistic Adaptation; Text Adaptation; Secondary Text

References

[1] Frank, S., Goldwater, S., Keller, F., 2013. Adding sentence types to a model of syntactic category acquisition. Topics in Cognitive Science. 5(3), 495–521. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tops.12030

[2] Chang, F., Janciauskas, M., Fitz, H., 2012. Language adaptation and learning: Getting explicit about implicit learning. Language and Linguistics Compass. 6(5), 259–278. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/lnc3.337

[3] Alishahi, A., Stevenson, S., 2008. A computational model of early argument structure acquisition. Cognitive Science. 32(5), 789–834. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03640210801929287

[4] Brygina, A.V., 2005. Linguistic principles of adapting a literary text [PhD thesis]. Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN): Moscow, Russia. (in Russian)

[5] Verschueren, J., 2018. Adaptability and meaning potential. In Proceedings of the 20th International Congress of Linguists: The Dynamics of Language, Cape Town, South Africa, 2–6 July 2018. pp. 93–109.

[6] Dyakova, A.A., 2009. Secondary representation of text form in adaptation. Bulletin of Volgograd State University, Series 2: Linguistics. 1(9), 76–79. (in Russian)

[7] Pervukhina, S.V., 2013. Features of nominations in adapted texts. Scientific Thought of the Caucasus. (1), 125–128. (in Russian)

[8] Moran, J., 2023. Adapted and unadapted texts: do any of us ever read just what our author wrote? the Journal of Classics Teaching. 24(48), 169–173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s2058631023000284

[9] Alva-Manchego, F., Bingel, J., Paetzold, G.H, et al., 2017. Learning how to simplify from explicit labeling of Complex-Simplified text pairs. In Proceedings of the The 8th International Joint Conference on Natural Language Processing, Taipei, China, 27 November–1 December 2017; pp. 295–305. Available from: https://www.aclweb.org/anthology/I17-1030.pdf (cited 15 April 2025).

[10] Jones, R.H., 2024. Discourse Analysis: A Resource Book for Students, 3rd ed. Taylor & Francis: Abingdon, UK.

[11] Schmitt, N., Schmitt, D., 2020. Vocabulary in Language Teaching, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

[12] Sessurova, S.A., 2024. Pragmatic adaptation in the translation of a literary text addressed to a child reader [PhD thesis]. State University of Education: Mytishchi, Russia. (in Russian)

[13] Giles, H., 1973. Communicative Effectiveness as a Function of Accented Speech. Speech Monographs. 40(4), 330–331. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03637757309375813

[14] Trudgill, P., 1992. Dialect typology and social structure. In: Jahr, E.H., (Ed.). Language contact: Theoretical and empirical studies. De Gruyter Mouton: Berlin, Germany. pp. 195–211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110851847.195

[15] Gumperz, J.J., 1982. Language and Social Identity (No. 2), 1st ed. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

[16] Ervin-Tripp, S., 1964. An analysis of the interaction of language, topic, and listener. American anthropologist. 66(6), 86–102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1964.66.suppl_3.02a00050

[17] Dewaele, J.M., 2010. Multilingualism and affordances: Variation in self-perceived communicative competence and communicative anxiety in French L1, L2, L3 and L4. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL). 48(2–3), 105–129. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/iral.2010.006

[18] Allwood, J., 2003. Meaning potentials and context: Some consequences for the analysis of variation in meaning. In: Cuyckens, H., Dirven, R., Taylor, J.R., (Eds.). Cognitive approaches to lexical semantics. De Gruyter Mouton: Berlin, Germany. pp. 29–66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110219074.29

[19] Labov, W., 1972. Language in the Inner City: Studies in the Black English Vernacular (Vol. 3). University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, PA, USA .

[20] Dictionary of Linguistic Terms, 2012. Available from: https://slovar.cc/rus/term/1463540.html (cited 24 April 2025). (in Russian)

[21] Dictionary of Literary Studies Terms, 1998. Available from: https://sozdikqor.kz (cited 1 May 2025). (in Kazakh)

[22] Kaliyev, G., 2005. Explanatory Dictionary of Linguistic Terms. Sozdik-Slovar: Almaty, Kazakhstan. (in Kazakh)

[23] McCauley, S.M., Christiansen, M.H., 2017. Computational investigations of multiword chunks in language learning. Topics in Cognitive Science. 9(3), 637–652. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tops.12258

[24] Zhinkin, N.I., 1982. Speech as an Information Carrier. Nauka: Moscow, USSR. (in Russian)

[25] Ionova, S.V., 2006. Approximation of the content of secondary texts [PhD thesis]. Volgograd State Pedagogical University:Volgograd, Russia. (in Russian)

[26] Štajner, S., 2021. Automatic text simplification for social good: Progress and challenges. In Proceedings of the Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics, Online, 1–6 August, 2021. pp. 2637–2652. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18653/v1/2021.findings-acl.233

[27] Dai, D., Li, D., Ma, S., et al., 2022. StableMoE: Stable Routing Strategy for Mixture of Experts. In: Muresan, S., Nakov, P., Villavicencio, A., (Eds.). Proceedings of the 60th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (Volume 1: Long Papers). Association for Computational Linguistics: Dublin, Ireland. pp. 7094–7107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18653/v1/2022.acl-long.489

Downloads

How to Cite

Mambetova, M., Myrzabek, B., Aldasheva, K., Medetbekova, P., Kamzina, A., & Absattar, A. (2025). Linguistic Aspects and Stylistic Features of Text Adaptation. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(11), 649–662. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11237