The next 4th International Conference on Rhetoric on the topic "Rhetorical Culture in Modern Society" was held on January 26-28, 2000 at the Pushkin State Institute of the Russian Language. The conference was opened by the Chairman of the Russian Association of Researchers, Teachers and Teachers of Rhetoric V. I. Annushkin. The guests were welcomed by the Vice-rector for Academic Affairs of the Pushkin State Research Institute Yu. E. Prokhorov. He highly appreciated the efforts of scientists and teachers seeking to restore rhetorical ideas in Russia, stressed the importance of the resurgent discipline for Russian studies in general, and spoke about how the teaching of rhetoric is organized at different faculties of the Pushkin State University.

Rhetorical conferences have become a regular experience of exchanging opinions of all those who care about the fate of the Russian word, the methodology of teaching Russian speech in all areas of teacher education: at school and university, for Russians and foreigners. Rhetoric, considered as the doctrine of persuasive and effective speech, attempts to pose and solve acute problems of building optimal speech interaction in the modern information society: from the rules of everyday dialogue and business negotiations to the art of political and journalistic speech. The program of the plenary and breakout sessions was equally diverse, where an interested discussion of the current state and prospects for the development of the culture of the Russian word took place.

During the plenary session, 9 reports were heard. L. K. Graudina in her report "On some problems of modern rhetoric" considered topical issues of modern social and speech practice and speech culture, giving specific examples of violations of communication norms and suggesting ways to achieve effective speech results. O. B. Sirotinina paid attention to the elite type of speech culture and its correlation with the phenomenon of rhetorical skill in her report. "Intentions as a subject of rhetorical research" - this is the topic of N. I. Formanovskaya's report. Within the framework of the concept of "practical rhetoric", I. A. Sternin analyzed the ways of constructing the teaching of rhetoric in higher education institutions and schools.-

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These are effective methods for constructing a course of teaching rhetoric.

Special attention of the audience was drawn to the reports related to the teaching of rhetoric in modern Russian schools and universities. In the report of R. I. Albetkova, the experience gained in the process of creating a literature course for grades 5-11 of the Russian school was summarized. N. A. Ippolitova spoke about the rhetorical training of students of literature on the samples of modern rhetorical culture. The linguo-rhetorical analysis of specific text constructions was demonstrated in the report of O. A. Lapteva "Neutralization of the word position as an amplifying device". A. P. Skovorodnikov devoted his speech to determining the content of the Russian rhetorical ideal and clarifying the rules of speech on the basis of Russian proverbs. In the report of V. I. Annushkin, the definitions of rhetoric and speech culture were clarified from the point of view of the history of Russian philological teachings on speech, and then some relevant areas of social and linguistic practice, the possibility of organizing rhetorical education, and the impact on the state of speech culture of society were considered.

On the evening of the first day of the conference, a "Philological Evening in Memory of Yu. V. Rozhdestvensky" was held, where students and colleagues of the recently deceased scientist, author of a number of fundamental theoretical studies, a wonderful lecturer and teacher who restored rhetoric at least since the 70s of the outgoing century made scientific reports and memoirs.

Information materials of the Russian Rhetorical Association were presented at the conference, and an exhibition of rhetorical literature (library of the Rhetorical Association) was launched. By the beginning of the conference, a collection of abstracts was published, which included materials from more than 80 reports.

Interest in the conference from Russian students in Moscow, Russian cities, CIS countries, as well as Latvia is confirmed by the number of reports made, which were distributed on the second day of the conference in five sections: 1. General rhetoric and speech culture of the society. 2. Private rhetoric and public speech practice. 3. Rhetoric-stylistics-fiction. 4. Teaching rhetoric at school. 5. Teaching rhetoric at the university.

The breadth and diversity of the speakers ' interests required the allocation of so-called "sub-themes" within these sections, the diversity of which is attested in the list itself: mass media rhetoric; fiction rhetoric; rhetorical figures; everyday speech rhetoric; content and methods of teaching rhetoric in higher education; history of rhetoric and stylistics; rhetoric in law school.

The third day of the conference was started with a round table on TE-

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E. A. Yunina told about the work of the scientific and pedagogical school of Rhetoric and the Faculty for training teachers of Rhetoric in Perm, which is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its existence this year. M. Y. Fe-dosyuk made suggestions on the organization of university examinations and testing. L. M. Rybchenkova, Head of the Department of Humanities Education of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, spoke about the place of rhetoric in modern schools, the prospects of its entry into the basic curriculum, and the idea of holding the Olympiad of Schoolchildren in Rhetoric.

In a number of other speeches of colleagues at the round table, business proposals were made regarding the future activities of the association related to the effective solution of all the problems of Russian speech culture, rhetorical education and upbringing. In particular, the chairman of the Association of Reading Researchers I. V. Usacheva (Moscow) proposed to hold a joint conference "The word as the basis of education"; N. V. Shevchenko (Saratov) spoke about the connection between university and school teaching of rhetoric; the need to organize speech skills courses that support the popular program "debates", expressed the opinion of S. Ye. Tikhonorov (Salekhard); D. I. Arkharova (Yekaterinburg) on the interest of teachers in the development of communicative disciplines; L. V. Dvoretsky (Petrozavodsk) on the possibilities of Rhetorical Association to influence the improvement of rhetorical culture; S. Ya.Kostritsa (Grodno, Belarus) on the experience of organizing rhetorical training in various universities of Belarus.

The conference on rhetoric demonstrated the diversity of creative pursuits of modern teachers and scientists who are concerned with the development of speech culture in modern society, issues of effective teaching and learning of Russian speech. At the same time, the results of the conference show the optimism with which Russian philologists, on the threshold of the third millennium, look at the inexhaustible possibilities of creative development of the Russian word, with the correct use of which not only any activity is organized, but also an atmosphere of social harmony, kindness and prosperity is created.

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