Samenvatting Text Analysis
Three functions of language, Organon model
Oregon model Functions Types
Symbol Information Informative discourse
Symptom Expression Narrative discourse
Signal Persuasion Argumentative discourse
This three-part division says something about aspects of language that can play a role
simultaneously. A more critical objection, however, is that many more functions are possible
Jakobsons perspective on functions of text:
1. context (referential)
4. message (poetic)
2. addresser (Emotive)-------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Addressee (conative)
5. channel, contact (phatic)
6. code (metalingual)
1. context: message that refers (referential function) to something in the world.
2. emotive: expressive, (symptom. expression, narrative discourse from the organon model)
3. conative: signal (persuasion, argumentative discourse)
4. message: poetic: language used in focus on the message itself
5. channel: phatic communion, (example: “am I still there?”) only when participants know they will
have to wait for a long time
6. code, metalingual or glossing function: when the languages focuses on the code itself: (“am I
understood, I don’t follow you”)
Emotive and conative function are more or less the same as the function related to symptom
(expression, narrative discourse) and signal (persuasion, argumentative discourse) in the Oregon
model.
Difference Discourse types and genres:
Discourse typologies comprise high-level, more or less universal categories. Genres, on the other
hand, form an open-ended list, and they are rather concrete and specific
Werlich’s discourse typology (1982) focuses on text forms.
5 basic form that are fundamental to discourse types.
Basic forms Subjective: active voice Objective: passive Use of language
voice
1. Descriptive Impressionistic Technical description
description
2. Narrative Report News story Declarative
sentence, verb
in the past tense
and indication
of time and
place
3. Expository Essay Definition, summary,
, explication, text
interpretation
4. Argumentative Comment Scientific
argumentation
5. Instructive Instructions Directions, rules, Imperative
regulations and structure of a
statutes sentence
Biber’s typology (1989)
Text prototypes distinguished on the basis of five sets of lexical and grammatical features.
1. Involved versus informational production
Interactive and affective genres, conversations and personal letters
Highly informative text, editorials, academic prose.
2. Narrative versus non-narrative concerns
Many past-tense verbs and third-person pronouns, are distinguished from non-narrative
texts.
3. Elaborated versus situation-dependent reference
Highly explicit content-independent texts, like official documents, apart from all other
discourse types.
4. Overt expression of persuasion
All text with persuasive elements, such as advertisements and politicians speeches.
5. Abstract versus non-abstract style
Features like passives, characterizes the abstract and formal style.
4.3
Difference between oral and written discourse according to Wallce Chafe (1982):
1. Writing takes longer than speaking
2. Writers do not have contact with readers
Integration in written language as opposed to fragmentation takes place in verbal interaction.
Subordinate conjunctions occur more in written language than in spoken interactions.
Chapter 11: narratives
Lecture:
Tekst: sequence of sentences or utterances
Discourse perspective on text: A sequence of sentences or utterances serving a communicative
purpose
Situation: spoken interaction is part of a shared situation that includes both speakers and hearers.
Addressee or receiver can be used to denote both readers or hearers. Producer can be used for both
speakers and writers.
4.4 genre theory and analysis
Genre, as defined by Swales (summary) “A genre is a class of communicative events with shared
recognizable communicative purposes. These purposes give rise to exploitable( inzoomen op
bepaalde kenmerken die ervoor zorgen dat ze een gedeeld doel hebben) constraints concerning
content and form.”
Genres are not defined on the basis of similarity in lexical and grammatical features or intended
audience or channel. Genres are primarily conceived of as communicative vehicles for achieving
purposes.
