Understanding Language Varieties and Literary Genres

Language Varieties

Social or Diastratic Varieties

These varieties function based on social factors, such as the cultural level of the speakers.

Stylistic or Diafasic Varieties

These varieties depend primarily on the situation in which the communicative act develops, including the sender, the subject, and the channel.

Geographical or Diatopic Varieties

These varieties originate in different geographical areas where a language is spoken.

Social Factors

Social varieties are determined by specific factors, most notably:

• Age
• Educational level
• Rural or urban environment

Narrative Literature

The author narrates events that happen to characters in a specific space and time.

Story

A brief narrative where elements are reduced to the essentials: few characters, a simple setting, and one plot.

Folk-tale

The author is unknown and the story is transmitted orally. Characters are prototypes of social classes or values, with a didactic and moralizing intention.

Literary Story

The author is known and the story is transmitted through books. Characters belong to everyday reality, and the intention is primarily playful.

Novel

An extensive fictional narrative written in prose, characterized by complexity in characters, plot, and narrative techniques. Types include: love, adventure, fantastic, science fiction, police, social, and historical.

Lyric Poetry

The poet expresses feelings through verse. A poem consists of lines grouped into stanzas, featuring:

• Rhyme: Repetition of sounds at the end of verses.
• Rhythm: Created by the repetition of accents.

Poetry is subject to rigid formal rules regarding the number of verses and the type of rhyme. In contrast, songs are created to be sung and heard, and are not subject to such rigid formal rules.

Theater

The representation of a dramatic text for an audience through character dialogue.

Drama

Often represents events involving conflict and everyday characters facing difficult situations. The purpose is to provoke reflection in the viewer.

Comedy

Deals with everyday issues, often trivializing or ridiculing serious situations. Characters are everyday people, often portrayed in ridiculous ways. The goal is to amuse the viewer through character caricature, absurd situations, and linguistic perplexities, usually resulting in a happy ending.