Oral and Written Language: Understanding Communication Styles
Oral and Written Language
Unit of Communication
A message is a unit of communication that conveys a complete thought. It consists of elements connected by grammatical and syntactic relationships. In spoken language, messages are separated by pauses and intonation, while in written language, they appear between punctuation marks like periods.
A text is a coherent set of statements that forms the highest unit of communication. It expresses the entirety of the sender’s intended message. The statements within a text are connected through coherence mechanisms, ensuring the message is clear, concise, and can be expanded or reduced as needed.
Oral vs. Written Language
Writing is a vital tool for transmitting culture and holds significant importance in professional life.
Oral communication is how we interact with family and friends. Mastering it is crucial in academic settings, as a significant part of professional and personal development relies on effectively conveying our viewpoints. These skills are not innate and require practice.
Characteristics:
- Oral: Acquired spontaneously during early childhood, develops over time through face-to-face interactions. It is expressed through sound, often complemented by non-verbal cues. Syntax may be less strict, with repetitions and informal language common. Planning is minimal, with improvisation playing a key role.
- Written: Learned through formal education, develops through practice. Communication is not simultaneous, with the writer and reader separated by time and space. It is expressed through written symbols, often adhering to grammatical rules and formal language conventions. Planning is more structured, with revisions and editing common.
Textual Adequacy
Textual adequacy refers to a text’s ability to conform to social, personal, and linguistic norms that govern communication.
Characteristics of an Adequate Text:
- Adapted to the intended audience.
- Appropriate for the speaker or writer and the context in which it is delivered.
- Aligned with the purpose of communication.
- Respectful of social norms and conventions.
- Using appropriate language level and register.
Textual Coherence
Coherence is the property of a text that provides unity, meaning, and allows for interpretation. It stems from the internal relationships between its parts and its overall adequacy.
Relationships:
- Real-World Connection: A coherent text aligns with common sense and does not contradict established knowledge.
- Internal Consistency: A coherent text maintains a consistent topic, avoids contradictions, presents information logically and hierarchically, and ensures all elements contribute to the overall meaning.
Classes of Coherence:
- Lexical: Words and phrases within a sentence make sense together.
- Local: Sentences logically connect, with information flowing smoothly from one to the next.
- Global: All content contributes to a central theme, with a clear hierarchy of information and a unified message.
Mechanisms of Cohesion
Cohesion mechanisms are linguistic resources that help establish unity and coherence within a text. They connect different parts and maintain a relationship with the overall message.
Connectors:
- Semantic: Indicate relationships between ideas, such as addition, contrast, or consequence.
- Metadiscursive: Organize information, introduce comments, signal digressions, provide explanations, or summarize.
- Conversational: Establish contact, seek confirmation, or express agreement.
Conceptismo and Culteranismo
These literary movements emerged during the Baroque period, characterized by skepticism and a departure from Renaissance balance. Both styles employed artifice, complex language, and aimed to evoke surprise in the reader.
Culteranismo:
Represented by Luis de Góngora, this style emphasized formal beauty, sensory language, and intricate wordplay. It aimed to elevate language to a highly cultured and poetic form.
Prose:
Beyond the picaresque novel, other prose forms flourished during this period:
- Short Stories: Pioneered by Cervantes'”Novelas ejemplares” these explored diverse themes and were often published in collections.
- Byzantine Novels: Inspired by earlier Byzantine romances, these featured complex plots and exotic settings.
- Allegorical Novels: Represented by Baltasar Gracián’s”Criticón” these used symbolism and allegory to convey moral or philosophical messages.