Text Properties: Appropriateness and Consistency in Communication

Text Properties: Appropriateness and Consistency

Appropriateness in Text

Appropriateness refers to the property of a text that meets social, personal, linguistic, and situational norms. A text is considered appropriate when it:

• Fits the intended theme.
• Adapts to the person issuing it or the person receiving it.
• Is suitable for the situation or place in which it is presented.
• Effectively achieves its intended aim.
• Adjusts the tone or level of formality to the situation.
• Respects the social rules of a group.
• Adapts to the level of language used in the communication.
• Follows the rules of courtesy.

Consistency in Text

Consistency is the property of a text that gives it unity and meaning, allowing for proper interpretation. A text is considered consistent if:

• Its messages do not conflict with the normal sense of things or with common sense in relation to the real or possible world.
• It addresses a central theme to which all parts of the text refer.
• Its words or statements do not contradict each other.
• What it says is timely and important in relation to the overall meaning.
• The information progresses in an orderly and hierarchical manner.
• It does not introduce elements unrelated to the subject matter.

Classes of Consistency

• Consistency in the statement: Words and sentences make sense and do not present ideas that contradict one another or the world to which they relate.
• Coherence between sentences: Each statement is logically connected to the preceding ones and advances information about subsequent statements.
• Global coherence: The relationship established between all contents gives unity and meaning to the text. The information is organized and hierarchical, and the importance of each part is relevant to the whole.

In text analysis, it is essential to reveal its structure, identifying the component parts and exploring the relationship between them.

Oral and Written Language in Communication

Education aims to improve our communication ability, which is manifested in both spoken and written language.

• Written language: It is the vehicle that conveys culture. It is of vital importance not only for our intellectual, cultural, and scientific development but also for our professional lives.
• Spoken language: It is the way we communicate with family and friends, but it is also crucial in professional and academic settings. Much of our personal development depends on our ability to present and defend our views in public.

Characteristics of Oral and Written Language

Oral Language

• Spontaneously acquired in early years.
• Develops over time.
• Speakers are often physically present (except for radio and television), allowing for continuous interaction.
• Manifested in sounds.
• The channel is air or other means to convey sounds.
• Syntax is less careful; there are often repetitions, subsections, different tones, and linguistic registers.
• Little or no advance planning.

Written Language

• Acquired through education.
• Develops in space.
• Participants are usually not present.
• Represented in words or writing.
• Paper and other writing materials are used, often accompanied by graphics.
• Linguistic features include more careful syntax, avoiding repetition, and maintaining the same tone and register throughout the text.
• More planning is involved compared to oral communication.