Linguistic Markers and Deixis in Academic Discourse

Pragmatic Analysis of Academic Discourse

When we analyze a text from a pragmatic point of view, we should consider several key elements: the purpose, the channel, the genre, the sender, and the receiver.

Characteristics of Academic Discourse

The primary purpose of academic discourse is to inform. In this context, the issuer acts as a transmitter, while the receiver is positioned at either a specialized level (scientific, such as a nurse) or a declarative level for general dissemination (divulgation).

Linguistic Markers and Procedures

Key markers of academic discourse include:

• Absence of deictics and an emphasis on impersonality.
• Use of the third-person axis.
• Predominance of the indicative mode and declarative statements.
• Absence of modalization procedures.
• Use of citation procedures and resources to condense information.

Explanatory Resources and Information Condensation

Various resources are used to introduce and clarify information:

• Apposition: Used to introduce explanatory info.
• Explanatory Parentheses: These perform the same function as apposition but utilize dashes or parentheses.
• Reformulative Sentences: These involve paraphrasing introduced by connectors such as i.e. or that is.
• Exemplifications: Information introduced via connectors like e.g. or as now.
• Graphic Aids: Notes, figures, asterisks, and non-linguistic codes such as maps, graphs, photos, and drawings.

Understanding Deixis in Text

Deixis is a basic mechanism used to incorporate situational elements of the enunciation into the text. There are three primary classes:

Spatial Deixis

This refers to space and can be expressed through:

• Demonstratives: This, that, or yonder.
• Neutral Pronouns: This or that.
• Adverbs: Here, there, or far away.

Temporal Deixis

These linguistic elements are played compared with the time before or after the moment of speaking. They include adverbs (such as now, yesterday, or tomorrow), demonstratives (such as the eve), and adverbial morphemes.

Personal Deixis

This appears as soon as a reference is made to the issuer or the receiver. It includes first and second-person pronouns and possessives (e.g., "I should leave"). The first-person plural can represent different realities:

• Plural of Majesty or the Plural of Modesty (authorial "we").
• Inclusive Plural: You + me.
• Exclusive Plural: I + them.
• Universal Inclusive: I + you + them.

Social Deixis

Social deixis consists of grammaticalized marks that provide information on the status of the interlocutor. In Spanish, for example, these include courtesy pronouns, formulas, and titles of treatment.