Summary English text and communication 1 semester 1

English: text and communication 1 10-01-2024




1 Introduction to communication
- Languages shape the way in which we perceive the world and are much more than the
simple words we pronounce in using them. The complexities involved in how we
communicate are often taken for granted and remain unconscious.
- Communication is both intentional and unintentional. It goes beyond words: verbal & non-
verbal (pronunciation, gestures, layout, font type and size…). Context beyond the textual
environment is of importance (where is the communication taking place, who is talking, how
are the persons dressed, what do we know about the topic…)
- The type of medium used has an influence. We create meaning based on a variety of
(re)sources.
 Communication is a complex process, communication models simplify the process by
providing a visual representation of the various aspects of a communication encounter.

1.1 Communication models

1.1.1 The transmission model - S. Hall (1973)
Communication is a
linear, one-way
process. A sender
intentionally
transmits a
message to a
receiver. This
model focuses on
the sender and
message. The
receiver is viewed as a target or end point rather than part of an ongoing process. We are left
to guess if they successfully receive and understand the message or not.

1.1.2 The transactional model




- Human communication is complex (range of elements have impact on communication).

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, English: text and communication 1 10-01-2024


- Communication = chain of consecutive events: communication based on previous input and
the message is used to construct new types of communication.
- Senders and receivers  communicators who generate social realities within social,
relational and cultural contexts. We are simultaneously senders and receivers.
 Allows us to understand how we are able to adapt our communication. E.g. In the
middle I of sending a verbal message we are simultaneously receiving.
- One-way linear model  two-way process
 Human communication is complex, interactive and involves both human and non-human
factors (environment) that impact on meaning creation.

1.1.3 Miscommunication
Where can it go wrong?
- Practical considerations (legibility, audibility, “Is
the input information up to date?”…)
- Interpersonal, cognitive and psychological
considerations
 Communication is a two-way street. Your
perception is not necessarily the objective truth.
 We subconsciously apply the unwritten rules of
communication (mentioned above)


2 Standards of textuality
Almost everything can become a text or communicative act in a certain situation. Texts are
both products and processes.

2.1 Beaugrande and Dressler’s 7 standards of textuality

Texts adhere to the seven standards to a certain degree. The standards are considered to be
features that make a text communicative. Cohesion is one of the most important.

2.1.1 Cohesion
= Ties across sentences that join them together (grammatical, lexical, semantic, metrical,
alliterative… ways of linking together a text (e.g. conjunctions 1, personal pronouns…));
Following grammatical rules of a language is a form of cohesion on its own.
- Text-centered notion2
- Connections across a text; resource for writes in the composition process; resource for
readers in the comprehension and textual interpretation.
2.1.1.1 Lexical3 cohesion
= Meaningful relations between sentence elements

1
voegwoorden
2
begrip
3
Regarding vocabulary

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