Text Linguistics and Language Teaching

Rogil Sanchez Quintana

Professor of Applied Linguistics and Didactics From DALEX UNE

7.1.What is Text Linguistics? Text linguistics is the study of text as a product or as a process . The text-as-aproduct approach is focused on the text cohesion, coherence, topical organization, illocutionary structure and communicative functions; the text-as-aprocess perspective studies the text production, reception and interpretation.

7.1.What is Text Linguistics? Text linguistics is concerned with adequate formal combinations of individual text elements, which make up what is called cohesion. This can be achieved by using adverbs, conjunctions, and pronouns. Moreover, text linguistics examines the general logical connection within a text, which is called coherence.

7.2. Different types of text

7.2.1. What is a text? According to Halliday and Hasan (1976), it is a semantic unit: a unit not of form but of meaning. . . . A text may be spoken or written, prose or verse, dialogue or monologue. It may be anything from a single proverb to a whole play, from a momentary cry for help to an allday discussion on a committee. . . . Most texts extend well beyond the confines of a single sentence.

7.2. Different types of text

7.2.1. What is a text? Text is the minimal unit of oral or written communication, although the most common in the past was the written one. This could be a letter, an email, a novel, a poem, a recipe, a note, instructions for doing something, an article in a newspaper or magazine, writing on a webpage , an advert, a speech, a telephone call, etc. a text is a communicative event that contributes to a discourse.

7.2.2. Criteria of Textuality

Text can be understood as an instance of (spoken or written) language use (an act of parole), a relatively self-contained unit of communication. As a communicative occurrence it meets seven criteria of textuality (the constitutive principles of textual communication): cohesion, coherence, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, situationality and intertextuality, and three regulative principles of textual communication: efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness.

7.2.3. What might the purpose of a

text be? An advert might be trying to persuade you to buy something. A letter from school might be to inform you about something. A novel might describe somewhere or someone to you. A car manual might instruct you how to do something to your car.

7.2.3. What might the purpose of a

text be?

a)The argumentative text type Based on the evaluation and the subsequent subjective judgement in answer to a problem. It refers to the reasons advanced for or against a matter. Examples: - argumentative texts - comments, interviews, speeches, reviews

7.2.3. What might the purpose of a

text be?

b) The narrative text type Based on perception in time. Narration is the telling of a story; the succession of events is given in chronological order.

7.2.3. What might the purpose of a

text be?

c) The descriptive text type Based on perception in space. Impressionistic descriptions of landscapes or persons are often to be found in narratives such as novels or short stories. Example: About fifteen miles below Monterey, on the wild coast, the Torres family had their farm, a few sloping acres above the cliff that dropped to the brown reefs and to the hissing white waters of the ocean... A descriptive text is a text that wants you to picture what they are describing.

7.2.3. What might the purpose of a

text be?

d) The expository text type

It aims at explanation, i.e. the cognitive analysis and subsequent syntheses of complex facts. Example: An essay on "Rhetoric: What is it and why do we study it?"

7.2.3. What might the purpose of a

text be?

e) Instructive texts An instructive text is a text that instructs or tells you how to do something. A recipe wants to instruct you how to cook something. A leaflet with a piece of furniture wants to tell you how to put it together or take care of it. Instructive texts are written as though the reader is being spoken to (although the word 'you' is not usually used) language is direct and unnecessary words are left out often use 'must' and 'must not' sometimes use diagrams or pictures to help understanding

7.2.3. What might the purpose of a

text be?

F.1. Persuasive texts A persuasive text is a text that really wants you to do something. An advert might want you to buy something. You might write a letter to persuade a friend to go on holiday with you, or to try and get off a parking ticket. Persuasive texts might use: repeated words text in capital letters exclamation marks

7.2.3. What might the purpose of a

text be?

F.2. Informative texts An informative text is a text that wants to advise or tell you about something. A newspaper article might give you information about a health issue like giving up smoking. A website might give you information about a movie, band or something that you are interested in. A handout from school might be advising you about what your child will be doing during the next term. Informative texts usually: avoid repetition contain facts give information in a clear way - introducing the subject and then developing it

TYPES OF TEXTS.

NON AUTHENTIC TEXT Texts prepared for native Texts prepare by teachers speakers for language students.

AUTHENTIC TEXT

Task
1.What is text linguistics? 2.What is a text? 3.What is the difference between cohesion and coherence? 4.Make three texts of different types. 5.Why do you think teachers should use authentic and non-authentic texts?

Thank you