Understanding Dialogue, Exposition, Argumentation & Linguistics

Understanding Dialogue

Dialogue is a text constructed in collaboration between several partners, sometimes acting as the issuer and other times as the receiver.

Characteristics of Everyday Dialogue

• Occurs in daily life.
• Relaxed pronunciation.
• Not prepared in advance.
• Uses common language.
• Often includes exclamatory sentences.

Setup of a Formal Dialogue

A formal dialogue (such as a discussion or interview) includes a moderator who directs and governs the conversation, and one or more participants who are experts in the field.

Literary Dialogues

Literary dialogues appear in literary works, including narratives, where they may be presented directly or indirectly.

Direct Speech

In direct speech, the narrator interrupts their narrative and uses a verb (e.g., "he said," "she replied") to let the characters speak directly.

Indirect Speech

In indirect speech, the narrator summarizes the meaning of what the characters say.

Exposition

Exposition is a composite text used to present ideas or theories clearly, such as in exams, books, and conferences.

Characteristics of Exposition

• Information is presented in well-differentiated parts.
• Information is divided into captions, questions, and didactic examples.
• Titles are used.
• Links guide and direct the listener (e.g., "in the first place," "then," "second").
• Cause or effect links help the listener understand the ideas presented.
• Opposition links mark the contrast of ideas.

Argumentation

Argumentation is the text that attempts to convince the audience that certain ideas are better than others. It appears in everyday life, on TV, and in the field of science.

• Thesis: The idea that is defended.
• Arguments: The ideas that support the thesis.

Links Used in Argumentation

• Cause and Consequence: because, since, due to, so, consequently, therefore.
• Opposition: yet, though, however, despite, but.

Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of language as a communication system.

• Phonetics and Phonology: Study of sounds and smaller units, which have no meaning (phonemes).
• Grammar: Study of the functioning of signs.
• Semantics: Study of the meaning of words.

Morphology and Syntax

Morphology studies words and their components, and syntax looks at their classification and the combination of these units to form more complex ones.

• Inflectional Morphemes: Added to the root to convey grammatical meaning.
• Derivational Morphemes: Used to form new words from others.
• Appreciative Morphemes: Add a touch of affection, irony, or size.