Unit 1b and 1c Self Evaluation Questions

1. How could we define a text from a linguistic point of view?

It is a linguistic realization of propositional meanings as connected passage that is
situationally relevant. In other words, a text is any object which has or contains meaning
and can be read or interpreted in multiple ways, such as in a visual way through images
and movies or through a hearing/listening medium with examples such as speech,
conversations, etc. Hence, it is a unit which can be interpreted in a multi-modal way and
thus, being a product of the intertwining and mending of words in a certain context.
2. Which is one of the criteria of a text identified by Halliday and Hassan?
Both of them said that the actual choices a person makes from the options that are
available to them within the particular context of culture, thus, take place within a
particular context of situation, both of which influence the use of language in the text. In
other words, both context of situation and context of culture are essential to give the text
a broader meaning and thus go beyond the sentence and take into account language in
use.
3. Define the concept of co-text and context from a linguistic point of view.
The co-text is the linguistic environment of a word. The context is the non-verbal
environment in which a word is used. Put another way, the surrounding situation in which
a word is used is its context whereas the surrounding words is its co-text, the most obvious
manifestation of which is collocations. Hence, the co-text could refer to a title, heading,
imperative, comma, etc.
4. Discuss the role of context in the construction of a text.
The moment in which we utter or wite down a word, it beholds a spark or glance of
meaning and background behind it. Henceforth, we need socio-cultural interactions,
environments and surroundings for language to enrichen and show an enhancing growth.
Text focuses mostly on text-internal aspects, but context concentrates more on external
elements. If there were no context, there wouldn’t be language because language is a
societal and cultural tool. Humans are the ones who have created language. Hence, text
depends on context and vice versa, in spite of giving an essential role to the context.
5. Explain some of the most relevant features of speech and writing and how
they are studied in Discourse Analysis, with adequate illustrations on the
difference between speech and writing.
Written discourse is more structurally complex and more elaborate than spoken discourse.
Sentences in spoken discourse are short and simple, whereas they are longer and more
complex in written discourse. Halliday suggests that in spoken discourse, clauses are long
and spread out.
Spoken discourse is less lexically dense regarding content words than written discourse
(nouns, adjectives, etc.) Later, writing is more explicit than speech, which includes
movements and gestures. Speech is more attached to context than writing because speech
depends on a shared situation and background for interpretation. Spoken discourse lacks
organization and is ungrammatical because it is spontaneous, whereas written discourse
is heavily organized and grammatical. Spoken discourse contains more repetition,
hesitations, and redundancy because it is produced in real time.
6. Spoken discourse takes place in different forms. Give examples of face-to-
face discourse and distance communication.
Perhaps conversations with your friends in a restaurant, park, cinema, etc. may be a face-
to-face example. Talking with them, interacting with different people, asking doubts and
questions to a teacher, etc. Distance communication might refer to online classes such as
in Google Meet, a conversation through a telephone, WhatsApp chatting, Skype, etc.
Letters and mails in contrast to Instagram and messages via Facebook. A telegram versus
an SMS. Being together vs being in a lone state.
7. Within the tradition of Systemic Linguistics, linguists have focused on the
‘textuality’ of the discourse. What do they mean by this?
Textuality is an essential component related to DA because this encloses the external
factors or elements of a text taking into account the context of situation and context of
culture.
8. Give examples of written discourse which could be of interest for the study
of discourse.
Generally, scholars and professionals take into account four types of discourse:
argumentative, narrations, exposition/explanation, and descriptions. Examples of
Discourse: In his “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. Plus, oratory, music,
cinematography, psychology, etc are also given importance.