Key Linguistic Concepts and Text Types Analysis

Linguistic Concepts and Text Types

Core Linguistic Definitions

• Language: A communication tool used by speakers of the same linguistic community.
• Dialect: A form of a language specific to a particular region within its domain.
• Local Speech: Linguistic forms used within a specific district or locality.

Language Use Scenarios

• Diglossia: A situation where one language or dialect enjoys greater social and political prestige, dominating another within a community.
• Bilingualism: A situation where two languages are used with ease, and both enjoy similar prestige.

Textual Properties

Coherence

Coherence is a property of texts that ensures they are well-formed and unitary. Secondary ideas provide relevant information supporting the main idea, allowing the reader to grasp the text's overall meaning. We often distinguish between:

• Global Coherence: Relates to the thematic unity of the text.
• Linear Coherence: Concerns the text's structure and the logical organization of ideas.
• Local Coherence: Refers to the meaningful relationship between individual statements or sentences.

Cohesion

Textual Cohesion ensures a text is well-formed through the explicit relationships between its sentences. Mechanisms include:

• Repetition
• Identity Reference
• Ellipsis
• Deixis

Text Types Classification

Scientific Texts

These texts are produced within the scientific community to present or demonstrate research progress.

Administrative Texts

These occur as a means of communication between individuals and institutions. They are highly formalized with rigid structures. Typical genres include the Certificate, the Greeting, the Memo, or the Official Gazette.

Legal Texts

These texts are produced during the administration of justice. Examples include the Decision, the Appeal, or the Law.

Journalistic Texts

These encompass all texts appearing in journalistic communication. They are usually divided into:

• Information Genres: Function is to convey specific information (e.g., news, reportage).
• Opinion Genres: Evaluate, comment on, and interpret information from the journalist's or publication's viewpoint (e.g., editorial, opinion article, criticism, column).

Humanistic Texts

These texts address aspects of the human sciences from the author's specific point of view. The typical genre is the essay.

Literary Texts

These include all texts where the poetic function is prominent. Genres include poetry, novels, short stories, drama, and the literary essay (including myths). Literary genres are often classified as narrative, lyric, and dramatic.

Advertising Texts

This is a special text type whose function is to convince the reader about a product's qualities and encourage its consumption.