language and texts © m. grazia busà 2013. focus on communication language = social behavior ●...

Language and Texts

© M. Grazia Busà 2013

FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION

LANGUAGE = SOCIAL BEHAVIOR● Through language we communicate:

Content (concepts) Information about our social identity (age,

gender, social status, etc.)

TEXT = instance of connected and meaningful stretch of language in use

Varies according to time, location, situation


Speakers’ register repertoires

Definition: variations in language use depending on context, level of education, age, gender, region, etc.

Characteristics: ● Speakers have control over many registers and

are able to shift from one to another depending on the context and the communicative needs (verbal repertoires)

● What varies is intonation, vocabulary, grammar © M. Grazia Busà 2013

Genre

Definition: ‘text’ conventionally used in connection with a certain social activity.

Characteristics: conventional association of content and form for a particular communicative purpose. ● Examples:

Oral genres: conversation, lecture, talk, etc. Literary genres: poem, novel, drama, etc. Mass media genres: TV, film, newspapers, etc. Subgenres and mixed genres, e.g. TV shows and

docudramas© M. Grazia Busà 2013

TEXT is affected by

Discourse topic and participants’ background Relationship with the audience Purpose Medium


What is affected?

Language: ● Style, tone, grammar, structure and organization of

the text itself, prosody, etc.

Paralinguistic features: ● Gesture, attitude, social behaviour, etc.


Topic and participants’ background

Topics● From highly specialized and/or technical to

everyday and conversational Participants

● Different degrees of familiarity with the topic: i.e., from experts to laypersons

Impact on:● Type of language used (technical, slang, etc.) every day● Amount of information that is taken for granted


Example 1

Text targeted to experts in the field of electric measurements (highly technical)

Electric field-strength EMF-measurements

Measurements can be carried out in the high-frequency spectrum (9 kHz‒22 GHz) for measuring electric fields generated by transmission equipment/installations, among which C2000, GSM and UMTS towers, radar systems, wireless devices etc.

(http://www.shieldingsystems.eu/index.php?p=Nieuws&id=204&Lang=2&gclid=CPW3r5Da6bMCFUON3godARoAeA)


Example 2

Text targeted to students (didactic and explanatory)

Atmospheric electricity is a field that is very easy to get into, because it does not require a large capital investment for measuring equipment. It is a difficult field, however, when it comes to the understanding and interpretation of the various measurements.

(http://www.colutron.com/products/cosmos.html)


Relationship with the audience

Varies according to: ● status (equal/unequal)

doctor – patient; teacher – student; employer – employee; student – student

● affective involvement mother – child; friend – friend; salesperson – customer

● contact (frequent/occasional)

Impact on: Level of language formality

● distance = formality/friendliness = informality


Example

Compare the following questions:

Formal● Excuse me, Madam, what would you like to drink?

Informal● Hey, waddya wanna drink?


Purpose

Goal that one aims at when producing a text● to chat, to explain, to discuss, to inform, to

teach, to promote, to advertise, to convince, to persuade, to reassure, etc.

Impact on:● Text structure, type of language used (technical, slang,

etc.) every day● Amount of information that is taken for granted


Example 1Text targeted to experts in the field of electric measurements (highly technical)

Electric field-strength EMF-measurements

Measurements can be carried out in the high-frequency spectrum (9 kHz‒22 GHz) for measuring electric fields generated by transmission equipment/installations, among which C2000, GSM and UMTS towers, radar systems, wireless devices, etc.

(http://www.shieldingsystems.eu/index.php?p=Nieuws&id=204&Lang=2&gclid=CPW3r5Da6bMCFUON3godARoAeA)

Purpose is scientific

discussion. Language is

appropriate to an audience of

scientists © M. Grazia Busà 2013

Example 2

Text targeted to students (didactic and explanatory)

Atmospheric electricity is a field that is very easy to get into because it does not require a large capital investment for measuring equipment. It is a difficult field, however, when it comes to the understanding and interpretation of the various measurements.

(http://www.colutron.com/products/cosmos.html)Purpose is

didactic explanation. Language is

appropriate to an audience of

students © M. Grazia Busà 2013

Medium

Spoken communication:● Spontaneous● Hesitations, interruptions, false starts, repetitions,

omissions● Simple grammatical structures ● Colloquial and informal language

Written communication:● Planned● Structured ● Well-formed and articulated sentences ● More formal lexicon and more complex constructions


Spoken and written language

Spoken communication:● Face-to-face, one-way or two-way ● Lecture, conference, etc.

Written communication:● Print: books, newspapers, magazines, brochures,

flyers, etc.● Electronic media: television, radio, audio/video

recording, etc. ● New media: computers and computer networks

(including e-mail, chat rooms, websites, etc.)


VARIATION in language FORMALITY

Language Use

Speech Writing

Informal Official/public Chat, Official

conversation speech e-mail contract

Informal Formallanguage languageInformal Formallanguage language


Formal vs informal language

In any language, different styles are appropriate in different situations

Language can vary from formal to informal, from written to spoken, from technical (or jargon) to slang

No real ‘rules’ but plenty of features distinguish formal styles from informal styles


Principles of English written style

The more formal a text is …● the more it will use inanimate nouns as subjects

of a sentence● the more it is likely to use passive structures● the more verbal nouns it will use● the more words of Latin origin it will use


Written style (continued)

The more informal a text is …● the more it will use humans as subjects of

sentences● the less it will use passive structures● the more it will use verb structures● the more words of Germanic origin it will use


What is slang?

A highly informal, colourful, non-standard, non-technical vocabulary composed chiefly of novel-sounding synonyms for standard words and phrases

Usually used between friends

It implies that the other person identifies fully with the speaker's attitude


Example: A written text of informal tone

Can I Sue Miley Cyrus If Her Snacks Make Me Sick? ...

God, that would be fun, wouldn't it? I mean, once you ceased to vomit your spleen out of your eye sockets.

(from http://www.eonline.com/, March 17, 2009)


A more formal version of the same text

A reader wonders if Miley Cyrus could be sued if he/she developed salmonella after eating one of the bars.

The reader finds the possibility of suing M.C. amusing, but adds that one would first have to wait to get better.


language and texts © m. grazia busà 2013. focus on communication language = social behavior ●...

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