Colloquial and Official-Business Speech in the Russian Language: Functional Features and Historical Development

Abstract

This article examines colloquial and official-business speech as important functional varieties of the modern Russian language. The relevance of the topic is determined by the need to develop a high level of speech culture among students, future professionals, and participants in professional communication. In everyday life, a person constantly switches between informal and formal communication: speaking with friends, addressing a teacher, writing an application, preparing a business letter, or taking part in negotiations. Each of these situations requires an appropriate choice of linguistic means. The purpose of the study is to compare colloquial and official-business speech and to consider the historical changes that have influenced their modern development. The article analyses the functions, areas of use, lexical, grammatical, and syntactic features of both styles. Particular attention is paid to the development of Russian business writing, from Old Russian treaties and charters to modern electronic document management, as well as to changes in colloquial speech under the influence of literary language, mass communication, and the digital environment. The study found that colloquial speech is characterised by spontaneity, emotionality, situational dependence, and an economy of linguistic expression. Official-business speech, in contrast, is distinguished by precision, standardisation, logical organisation, and neutrality. Both types of speech continue to develop while maintaining their essential functions in contemporary communication.