Text Linguistics: Properties and Typology

Posted on Feb 15, 2025 in English Studies. Language, Literature, and Culture

Text Linguistics: Key Concepts

Text linguistics focuses on two aspects: the text as a unit of communication and the pragmatic level, considering the extra-linguistic situation in which communication occurs. The text, or the unit of communication, is produced by a speaker under specific circumstances.

Characteristics of Text

  • It is a unit of communication responding to a common intent.
  • It is an act in which the speaker expresses an intention.
  • It occurs in a situation to which it must adapt, losing its meaning outside of this context.
  • It has a structure that relates elements, providing coherence and unity.

Adequacy

Adequacy is the property of choosing the most appropriate linguistic options for effective communication. Building a suitable text implies a good knowledge of language in all its aspects.

Consistency

Consistency is the property by which a text is organized to convey a global sense. It involves the selection of information:

  • Skills that are part of the linguistic context.
  • Information that explains the situation (space and time given in the text).
  • A set of diverse knowledge.

Levels of Knowledge

  1. Competence Linguistics (syntax, morphology, semantics)
  2. Knowledge of Knowledge (implicit content)
  3. Cultural Knowledge (knowledge of different sciences to understand the context)

The theme is revealed in the text and summarizes the essentials.

Structure

The organization of information across the theme varies with the type of text.

Consistency Rules

  1. Repetition: Statements must be chained with a specific theme.
  2. Progression: The text must develop with new contributions.
  3. Non-contradiction: Statements must not contradict established content.
  4. Relationship: The issues referred to in the text must relate to the real world.

Cohesion

Cohesion is the property by which units relate within the text.

Referential Text Mechanisms

  1. Deixis: Mechanisms by which the text refers to elements of the extra-linguistic situation. Deictic elements include personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, determiners, and possessives.
  2. Anaphora: The relationship between an element (antecedent) and another element that replaces it (pronouns, determiners, adverbs of place).
  3. Cataphora: The relationship between an element and one that appears later in the text.
  4. Ellipsis: The suppression of a known element that appears nearby in the text.
  5. Lexical Replacement: The substitution of one word for another that is synonymous within the text.

Connection

Discourse markers or connectors serve to guide and link fragments of preceding and following discourse. They can be conjunctions, adverbs, conjunctive or adverbial phrases, or even sentences.

  1. Information Structurers or Organizers
  2. Argumentative Connectors
  3. Reformulators
  4. Operators
  5. Conversational Markers

Text Typology

Text typology refers to the types of texts available to the issuer and used for text production and comprehension. Everything must be subject to a theme and structure.

  • Conversation: Everyday conversation, dialogue (dramatic, narrative), surveys, interviews, debates.
  • Description: Used in both oral and written forms.
  • Narration: Oral use, storytelling, writing, short stories, novels, news, comics.
  • Exposition: Political speeches, religious conferences, brochures, scientific articles.
  • Argumentation: Judicial speeches, advertising, articles of opinion, debates, tests.
  • Instructions: Instructions, laws.
  • Prediction: Prospective texts, programs, budgets.
  • Rhetoric-Rich Texts: Poetry, songs, jokes, proverbs.