GENERAL REVIEW TEXT LINGUISTICS

Mag. Juan Molina F. (2010)

QUESTIONS TO REVIEW
What is Text Linguistics? What is the difference between TEXT and DISCOURSE? What is the Communicative Triangle? What is the purpose of a TEXT? How could be TEXT classified? What is the difference between Sentence and Text?

TEXT LINGUISTICS
It is a branch of linguistics which studies spoken or written TEXTs. Examples: a descriptive passage, a scene in a play, a conversation. It deals with the way the parts of a text are organized and related to one another in order to form a meaningful whole.

TEXT LINGUISTICS (CHAPTER 5)

Text linguistics is the study of text as a product (text grammar) or as a process (theory of text). The text-as-a-product approach is focused on the text cohesion, coherence, topical organization, illocutionary structure and communicative functions; the text-as-a-process perspective studies the text production, reception and interpretation (cf. Dolnk and Bajzkov 1998).

TWO VIEWS OF TEXT (DOLNK AND BAJZKOV 1998)

Product

TEXT

Process

Text cohesion Coherence Topical organization Illocutionary structure Communicative functions

Text production Reception Interpretation

TEXT LINGUISTICS (CHAPTER 5)

Text can be understood as an instance of (spoken or written) language use (an act of parole), a relatively self-contained unit of communication. As a communicative occurrence it meets seven criteria of textuality (the constitutive principles of textual communication): cohesion, coherence, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, situationality and intertextuality, and three regulative principles of textual communication: efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness (cf. de Beaugrande and Dressler 1981, Malmjaer 1991).

DEFINITION OF TEXT AND SENTENCE

A text can be defined as an actual use of language, as distinct from a sentence which is an abstract unit of linguistic analysis. Text is any piece of language produced for a communicative purpose. TEXTs in unknown language (public signs) Texts could be simple in form and serve for instructive purposes. Other texts go beyond the sentence and serve many other social functions: to give information, express a point of view, shape opinion, provide entertainment, etc.

DEFINITION OF TEXT
Whether simple or complex, all texts are uses of language which are produced with the intention to refer to something for some purpose.

Simple

TEXTs Intention Purpose

Complex

TEXT LINGUISTICS (CHAPTER 3)

In the approach to text linguistics by de Beaugrande & Dressler (1981), text, oral or printed, is established as a communicative occurrence, which has to meet seven standards of textuality. If any of these standards are not satisfied, the text is considered not to have fulfilled its function and not to be communicative.

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF TEXTUALITY

Cohesion concerns the ways in which the components of the surface text (the actual words we hear or see) are mutually connected within a sequence (de Beaugrande & Dressler 1981:3). Coherence are text-centered notions, designating operations directed at the text materials. Intentionality concerns the text producer's attitude that the set of occurrences should constitute a cohesive and coherent text instrumental in fulfilling the producer's intentions. Acceptability concerns the receiver's attitude that the set of occurrences should constitute a cohesive and coherent text having some use or relevance for the receiver. Informativity concerns the extent to which the occurrences of the text are expected vs. unexpected or known vs. unknown/uncertain. Situationality concerns the factors which make a text relevant to a situation of occurrence. Intertextuality concerns the factors which make the utilisation of one text dependent upon knowledge of one or more previously encountered texts.

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF TEXTUALITY

Text centered notions
Cohesion Coherence

User centered notions

Intentionality Acceptability Informativity Situationality Intertextuality

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF TEXTUALITY

The above seven standards of textuality are called constitutive principles (cf. Searle 1965), in that they define and create textual communication as well as setting the rules for communicating.

DEFINITION OF TEXT
a stretch of language complete in itself and of some considerable extent. small-scale texts: EXIT, STOP Typical examples of text:
A business letter, a leaflet, a news report, a recipe

From this example of alienation of context we can then conclude that, for the expression of its meaning, a text is dependent on its use in an appropriate context.

DEFINITION OF DISCOURSE
When a text is actively employed in a context of use it becomes a discourse. Text is the observable product of the writers (written form) or speakers (recorded speech) Discourse. The inference of discourse meaning is largely a matter of negotiation between writer (speaker) and reader (hearer) in a contextualized social interaction. Text can be realized by any piece of language as long as it is found to record a meaningful discourse when it is related to a suitable context of use.

TEXT: TWO SITES OF MEANING

TEXT

Semantics

Pragmatics

The study of formal encoded meanings of lge.

The meaning of language in discourse.

CONTEXT: WE DISTINGUISH TWO TYPES

CONTEXT

internal linguistic context

external nonlinguistic context

drawing us to ideas and experiences in the world outside the text.

built up by the language patterns inside the text

CONTEXT: TEXT-EXTERNAL FEATURES INFLUENCING

THE INTERPRETATION OF A DISCOURSE
1 text type, or genre 2 topic, purpose, & function
7 association with other similar text types (intertextuality)

3 temporary and physical setting of the text

Text extenal features

6 relationship between W (S) & R (H)

4 texts social, cultural, & historical setting

5 identities, knowledge, emotions, beliefs W (S) & R (H)

THE COMMUNICATIVE TRIANGLE

Text (material manifestation of Discourse)

Addresser (Writer/Speaker)

Addressee (Reader/Hearer)

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GENRE AND TEXT TYPE

Biber (1988) draws a distinction between genre and text type which has important implications for the language learning classroom. For Biber, the term 'genre' categorizes texts on the basis of external criteria. 'text types' represent groupings of texts which are similar in linguistic form, irrespective of genre. Thus, the term 'genre describes types of activities such as, for example, prayers, sermons, songs, and poems, 'which regularly occur in society' (Dudley-Evans 1989: 77), and 'are considered by the speech community as being of the same type' (Richards et al. 1992:156). Text types, on the other hand, represent groupings of texts which are similar in terms of co-occurrence of linguistic patterns. Biber found that the same genre can differ greatly in its linguistic characteristics. He also observed that different genres can be quite similar linguistically. The terms 'genre' and 'text type' thus represent different, yet complementary, perspectives on texts.

SITUATION:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

STOP (CHAPTER 1)

Text or Sentence? Grammatical Structure? Denotation? Meaning referred to? Context? Assumptions? Purpose? Text type?