Understanding Text Organization, Communication, and Language

Understanding Text Organization

A text is an organized linguistic unit (words, phrases, sentences, periods, paragraphs, full text) structured according to the communicative situation, register of language, and communicative intentionality.

Sentence-Period

A sentence-period is a set of sentences linked by a period, covering the same subject.

Message vs. Text

The message is what is said, while the text is the organized form of what is said.

Communicative Environment

The communicative environment surrounds the issuance of a text and a message. Key questions include: "Who speaks?" and "To whom do they speak?"

Intention to Communicate

This refers to what we want to achieve with our message, such as reporting, ordering, inviting, seeking, or requesting.

The intent is identified within the communicative environment and by understanding the speaker's purpose.

Speaker Relationships

Relationships between speakers can be divided into symmetrical and asymmetrical relationships:

Symmetrical Relationships

This means that speakers are friends, classmates, or colleagues, indicating a familiar relationship.

Asymmetrical Relationships

This means that the speakers are hierarchically spaced, such as a teacher to student, director to teacher, chief to clerk, or manager to employee.

Registers of Language

Registers of language are forms taken according to the communicative situation. Several types exist:

• Formal-Worship: Polite language.
• Worship-Informal: Colloquial, everyday language within the concept of politeness.
• Inculto-Formal: A formal but marginal language.
• Inculto-Informal: Marginal because it is outside of the standard concept.

Consistency

Consistency is what must be respected in the organization's ideology. This means that ideas must be arranged correctly to give meaning to the text. Consistency is the backbone that allows the text to be understood comprehensively.

Cohesion

Cohesion refers to the structure of the text, i.e., how to write formally and correctly, including grammar, syntax, and spelling. A cohesive text follows the syntactic rules of grammar and spelling of our language.

Text in Common Use

These are texts used in informal, colloquial, and familiar communicative situations. Examples include letters to family or friends, informal message requests, and notices of hearing.

Fixed-Text Use

These are texts organized in an excellent form and content and are used to handle all the administrative documentation of an institution. Examples include notices, formal letters, formal applications, and curricula vitae.