English Linguistics II

Vocabulary flashcards from English Linguistics II lecture notes.

Senses/Meaning of ‘Text’ 6

1. medium : text is writen language

2. complexity : contains a larger number of sentences

3. demiotic modes(codes) : is verbal and excludes other modes

4. communication : is the result of writing and of communicative activities

5. status : some texts institutional/socio-cultural authority

6. function : are vehicles of knowledge and learning

Main Perspective on Text in Text-linguistics

1. connectedness

2. function/utility

3. patterned artefacts

Connectedness (‘beyond-­‐the-­‐clause approach’) (Text-Linguistics Perspective)

Connections (grammatical/lexical/sense) between the various sentences in more complex texts.

Function/Utility (‘language-­‐in-­‐context approach’)(Text-Linguistics Perspective)

Practically useful in communication and social action; they pursue a number of expectable functions.

Patterned Artefacts (‘text-­as-­readable-­something approach’)(Text-Linguistics Perspective)

Real-world objects with material(surface, format/layout, typography); text = structure in perception and production.

Linguistic Definition of text 5

1. communicative function

2. Written/Spoken?-Monologue/Dialogue?-Complex/simple?

3. Definability - Prototypicality

4. Connectedness/coherence as a major defining criterion

5. Functionalist approach

Communicative function

A text is a group of sentences that are linked together and make sense as a whole to share a clear message.

Written/Spoken?-Monologue/Dialogue?-Complex/simple?

text refers to any spoken or written passage, long or short, that forms a complete and meaningful whole.

Definability - Prototypicality

A text is something readers or listeners see as meaningful.

It must meet seven standards to be communicative.
If it doesn't, it's called a non-text.

Definability means a text must follow certain rules.
Prototypicality means some texts are clearer examples than others.

Connectedness/coherence as a major defining criterion

A text is not just about grammar like a sentence—it's about meaning (semantics) and use in context (pragmatics).

• Coherence = ideas make sense together in the real-world context.

• Cohesion = language links the parts.

Functionalist approach

A text is a unit of meaning shaped by the situation.

It’s defined by context, not grammar, and can be any length.

Its structure depends on its purpose and use.

Objects of Enquiry in Text Linguistics

1. cohesion-lexical & grammatical

2. coherence

3. Text classification

4. Multimodal text - intersemiotic cohesion/coherence

Cohesion(lexical&grammatical)

the connectedness of words/phrases/clauses within a sequence, which is realized by grammatical dependencies.

How do the elements of text connect grammatically/lexically?

player – footballer (cf. text ECONOMIST)

2 Peter can’t come to the skiing trip. That’s because he tore some muscle on his leg last night.

3 A: I wish a had a drink. B: Me, too

Coherence

the accessibility and relevance of concepts and the relations among them in the textual world.(in real world)

How do parts oftext form larger chunks and how do they connect?

game, match, World Cup, footballer, semi-final, player (FRAME: sports game/football)

5 conventional structure of a news report or a letter-to-the-editor (genre-typical composition/layout-forms - SUPERSTRUCTURES)

Text classification

sorting texts into larger groups of texts that share certain features – creating order in the comm. repertoire of a lang. community

weather forecast (genre) = descriptive/narrative text

recipe (genre) = instructional text

Multimodal text- intersemiotic cohesion/coherence

Language can also build ties with elements in pictures or films

Front Assist always knows what’s ahead of you. (pictures of kids, old people, cars, toys, etc.)

Controversial Properties of Texts

1. written VERSUS spoken (medium-independent or dependent)

2. verbal VERSUS non-verbal

3. longer-complex VERSUS minimal

4. bounded VERSUS unbounded

5. fixed product VERSUS variable process

Standards of Textuality

Text-centred/text-internal

• cohesion

• coherence

User-centred or Text-external(socio-phychological)

• Intentionality

• Acceptability

• Informativity

• Situationlity

• Intertextuality

Intentionality

a producer-centred aspect of textuality, which looks at the purposes and social functions of a text in communication.

Acceptability

focuses on the receiver’s attitude to a text in terms of its communicative relevance and in terms of its cohesive and coherent structure.

Informativity

The degree of …. in texts is often judged with recourse to the categories unexpected versus expected and unknown versus known.

Situationality

texts possess typical features which make them relevant for a situation of usage. Conversely, text-external aspects of the situation exert an influence on the form of text.

Intertextuality

the use of a certain text depends on the knowledge of other texts in two respects: 1) world knowledge, 2) genre patterns and features.

Text/Discourse

Complex and connected unities of sentences/utterances about fixed topic.

Text

Medium-dependent (writing), monologic, no interaction, product/material artefact, Structured linguistically/thematically

Discourse

Medium-independent, dialogic, interactive, process(social action in a context), socially constituted knowledge.