Text Analysis I Summary
WEEK 1 → A discourse perspective on communication
Text = sequence of sentences or utterances
Discourse perspective on text = a sequence of sentences or utterances serving
a communicative purpose
The Organon model as a starting point:
Jakobson’s (1960) Functions:
6 factors of Jakobson’s theory that are required for communication:
1. Context →
The context forms the setting/reason for the message.
Referential = refers to something in the world
2. Addresser →
Person who delivers a message to a specific audience (sender).
Emotive = functions linked to participants, pertains attitudes of
addressee
3. Addressee →
Audience that receives the message (receiver).
Conative = Orientation towards addressee, giving a
command/instruction(author wants you to do something)
, 4. Message →
The message is what is sent by the addresser and corresponds to an
experience, idea, explanation, and so on.
Poetic = focuses on the message as well as the way the message is
communicated
5. Contact/channel →
There needs to be a relational channel and connection between the addresser
and the addressee (physical and psychological connection).
Phatic = Language used for checking the channel or making contact
(e.g. → “Hello are you still there?”)
6. Code →
Includes the rules that combine to form the message and correspond to the
type of language used. -> how the message is transported
Metalingual = language is used to talk about language itself (code)
(e.g. → "What are you saying? Are you speaking in English or what?")
Discourse types = limited numbers of categories, highly generalized and
abstract (e.g. → argumentative discourse type)
Discourse genres = open-ended lists, rather concrete and specific (e.g. →
academic articles, reviews, political speeches)
Genre = class of communicative events with shared recognizable
communicative purposes (communicative vehicles for achieving purposes).
Communicative event = an event where discourse(gesprek) plays an essential
role
Werlich’s discourse typology (1982)
Subjective = writers perception
Objective = can be verified by readers
, Argumentative text type:
- Standpoint markers (in my opinion, I think that)
- Argumentation markers (my first argument is, on the one hand, on the
other...)
- Evaluative expressions (wisest investment, benefits will even get
greater)
- Truth claims (many families will be struggling)
- Discourse connectives (so, since, because)
Narrative text type:
- Past tense verbs
- Reference to persons (‘story characters’)
- Main character (‘protagonist’ that look place in the past)
- Protagonist’s subjective viewpoint (they look superb)
- Indications of time and place (this year, last year)
- Chronological ordering of events
- Causal relations
Five dimensions of Biber (1989):
1. Involved vs. informational production =
relates to the level of involvement or personal engagement in language
production
(e.g. → interactive/affective genres → conversations and personal letters & highly
informative texts → editorials (hoofdartikelen), academic writing)
2. Narrative vs. non-narrative concerns =
distinguishes between texts that are structured as narratives and those that
are not narrative-focused
(e.g. → structured as a narrative; presented in a sequential and storytelling
manner and not narrative focused such as descriptions or arguments)
3. Elaborated vs. situation-dependent reference =
(e.g. → if language use involves detailed and elaborate reference to
people/things/events as in official documents, or if the reference is more
situation-dependent, like in a conversation)
WEEK 1 → A discourse perspective on communication
Text = sequence of sentences or utterances
Discourse perspective on text = a sequence of sentences or utterances serving
a communicative purpose
The Organon model as a starting point:
Jakobson’s (1960) Functions:
6 factors of Jakobson’s theory that are required for communication:
1. Context →
The context forms the setting/reason for the message.
Referential = refers to something in the world
2. Addresser →
Person who delivers a message to a specific audience (sender).
Emotive = functions linked to participants, pertains attitudes of
addressee
3. Addressee →
Audience that receives the message (receiver).
Conative = Orientation towards addressee, giving a
command/instruction(author wants you to do something)
, 4. Message →
The message is what is sent by the addresser and corresponds to an
experience, idea, explanation, and so on.
Poetic = focuses on the message as well as the way the message is
communicated
5. Contact/channel →
There needs to be a relational channel and connection between the addresser
and the addressee (physical and psychological connection).
Phatic = Language used for checking the channel or making contact
(e.g. → “Hello are you still there?”)
6. Code →
Includes the rules that combine to form the message and correspond to the
type of language used. -> how the message is transported
Metalingual = language is used to talk about language itself (code)
(e.g. → "What are you saying? Are you speaking in English or what?")
Discourse types = limited numbers of categories, highly generalized and
abstract (e.g. → argumentative discourse type)
Discourse genres = open-ended lists, rather concrete and specific (e.g. →
academic articles, reviews, political speeches)
Genre = class of communicative events with shared recognizable
communicative purposes (communicative vehicles for achieving purposes).
Communicative event = an event where discourse(gesprek) plays an essential
role
Werlich’s discourse typology (1982)
Subjective = writers perception
Objective = can be verified by readers
, Argumentative text type:
- Standpoint markers (in my opinion, I think that)
- Argumentation markers (my first argument is, on the one hand, on the
other...)
- Evaluative expressions (wisest investment, benefits will even get
greater)
- Truth claims (many families will be struggling)
- Discourse connectives (so, since, because)
Narrative text type:
- Past tense verbs
- Reference to persons (‘story characters’)
- Main character (‘protagonist’ that look place in the past)
- Protagonist’s subjective viewpoint (they look superb)
- Indications of time and place (this year, last year)
- Chronological ordering of events
- Causal relations
Five dimensions of Biber (1989):
1. Involved vs. informational production =
relates to the level of involvement or personal engagement in language
production
(e.g. → interactive/affective genres → conversations and personal letters & highly
informative texts → editorials (hoofdartikelen), academic writing)
2. Narrative vs. non-narrative concerns =
distinguishes between texts that are structured as narratives and those that
are not narrative-focused
(e.g. → structured as a narrative; presented in a sequential and storytelling
manner and not narrative focused such as descriptions or arguments)
3. Elaborated vs. situation-dependent reference =
(e.g. → if language use involves detailed and elaborate reference to
people/things/events as in official documents, or if the reference is more
situation-dependent, like in a conversation)
