textual linguistics What is a text and The extraordinary journey of a text.pdf

how to analyze the text through a linguistic approach.

1. TEXTUAL LINGUISTICS
Omar ELHAMDOUNI

2. outline
•What is a text?
•The extraordinary journey of a text
•Examine/analyze a text
•Questions textual linguistics seeks to answer
•Textual linguistics defined
•Features
•Discourse analysis: a brief account
•Textual linguistics in use
•Potential confusion
•Quizzes

3. Food for thought:
•"Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people
come from and where they are going." -Rita Mae Brown
•"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." -Ludwig
Wittgenstein

4. Digital-Screens-Emotions-Ideas-Images-
Words-Books-Emails-Printed-written
•A text is a piece of …….. or …….. communication that conveys
meaning.
•It can take various forms, including …….., articles, …….., messages,
poetry, and more.
•Texts can be composed of…….., symbols, or …….., and they serve to
communicate ………, stories, information, or ……….
•In the …….age, texts can also refer to electronic messages,
documents, or content displayed on ……….

5. What is a text?
•A text is a piece of written or printed communication that conveys
meaning.
•It can take various forms, including books, articles, emails, messages,
poetry, and more.
•Texts can be composed of words, symbols, or images,and they serve
to communicate ideas, stories, information, or emotions.
•In the digitalage, texts can also refer to electronic messages,
documents, or content displayed on screens.

6. T.E.X.T. stands for…..
•T ………
•E ……….
•X ………
•T …….

7. •T-Transmission: Texts are a means of transmitting information, ideas,
or messages from one person to another.
•E-Expression: Texts allow individuals to express themselves through
written or visual communication.
•X-eXchange: Texts often involve an exchange of ideas, opinions, or
experiences between individuals or groups.
•T-Typography: Texts are typically composed of written or printed
characters arranged in a specific order.

8. The extraordinary journey of a text:
THE LASCAUX CAVE PAINTINGS

9. The extraordinary journey of a text:

15. The extraordinary journey of a text:
The extraordinary journey of a text from cave paintings to an erudite
text of a scholar highlights the dynamic and multifaceted nature of
language and communication.
The journey reflects the innate human drive to connect,
communicate, and create meaning through language.

16. Examine/analyze a text?
•Analyzing or examining a text involves several steps to gain a deeper
understanding of its content, structure, and context.
•To uncover its underlying structure, meaning, and functions of a text
we call upon a relevant field of expertise; namely textual linguistics.

17. Textual linguistics seeks to answer questions
such as:
How do individual sentences combine to form coherent and cohesive
texts?
What linguistic features contribute to the organization and structure
of different types of texts?
How do writers or speakers use language to achieve specific
communicative goals within a given context or genre?
What role do cultural, social, and contextual factors play in shaping
textual meaning and interpretation?

18. TEXTUAL LINGUISTICS?
Textual linguistics examines how language functions within texts,
including the structure, coherence, cohesion, and communicative
purposes of texts across different genres and contexts.
It involves studying features such as syntax, semantics, discourse
markers, and rhetorical devices to understand how meaning is created
and conveyed within written or spoken texts.

19. Features?
•STRUCTURE
•COHERENCE
•COHESION
•COMMUNICATIVE PURPOSES
•SYNTAX
•SEMANTICS
•DISCOURSE MARKERS
•RHETORICAL DEVICES

20. structure
It refers to the organization of linguistic elements within a text.
It encompasses both the macro-level structure, which deals with the
overall organization of the text..
and the micro-level structure, which involves the arrangement of
individual linguistic elements such as words, phrases, and clause

21. STRUCTURE
Macro-level Micro-level
Narrative Argumentative Sentence Paragraph

22. Coherence
The quality of a text being logically and smoothly organized, where its
parts are connected in a clear and meaningful way.
Coherent texts are easy to follow and understand because they
maintain a sense of unity and relevance throughout.

23. LogicalProgression of
Ideas
Use of Transitional
Devices
Principleof RelevanceConsistent Topic Focus
coherence

24. Cohesion
Cohesion in textual linguistics refers to the grammatical and lexical
relationships that hold a text together, creating a sense of unity and
connectednessamong its parts. Cohesive devicesare used to link
various elements within a text.

25. cohesion
Reference
Substitution
Ellipsis
Connectives

26. Communicative Purposes
Communicative purposes refer to the intentions or goals behind using
language to communicate.
These purposes can vary widely depending on the context, audience,
and the speaker's or writer's objectives

27. purpose Example
Informative A news article reporting on recent developments in the economy aims to
inform readers about important events, facts, or updates..
Persuasive A political speech advocating for a particular policy change aims to persuade
the audience to support the speaker's viewpoint by presenting arguments,
evidence, and emotional appeals.
Entertainment A stand-up comedian's performance aims to entertain the audience by telling
jokes, sharing humorous anecdotes..
Instructive Instructions for assembling a piece of furniture aims to provide step-by-step
guidance to users on how to complete the task effectively.
Transactional An email requesting information about a product or service aims to initiate a
transactional exchange by seeking specific details or responses from the
recipient.
Regulatory Traffic signs and warning labels on products aim to regulate behavior and
ensure safety by providing clear instructions, warnings, or guidelines.

28. Syntax
It refers to the rules and principles governing the arrangement of
words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
It deals with the structure, order, and relationship of elements
within sentences.

29. Element Illustration
Word Order The cat chased the mouse
Subject-VerbAgreementShe plays soccer
Modifiers The big, brown dog barked loudly
Phrase Structure The girl with the red hat is my friend
Clauses I will go to the store if it stops raining
Sentence Types •Declarative sentence: "She is reading a book."
•Interrogative sentence: "Is she reading a book?"
•Imperative sentence: "Please pass the salt."
•Exclamatory sentence: "What a beautiful day it is!"
ComplexSentences Although she was tired, she continued working

30. Semantics
Semantics is the branch of linguistics concerned with the study of
meaningin language.
It explores how words, phrases, sentences, and larger units of discourse
convey meaning, both in isolation and in context.

31. Element Example
Word Meaning"Cat" refers to a small domesticated carnivorous mammal.
Word RelationsSynonymsare words with similar meanings, such as "happy" and "joyful."
Antonymsare words with opposite meanings, such as "hot" and "cold."
Hyponymsare words that represent a subclass of a broader category, such as
"rose" being a hyponym of "flower."
Sentence
Meaning
The cat chased the mouse.
Ambiguity Flying planes can be dangerous.
Pragmatics Could you pass the salt?
Metaphor Time is a thief.
Idioms It's raining cats and dogs.

32. Discourse Markers
Discourse markers are words or phrases that help organize and
structure discourse, signaling relationshipsbetween different parts of a
conversation, text, or speech.
They can indicate transitions, emphasizeimportant points, show
agreement or disagreement, or manage turn-takingin conversations.

33. •Transition Markers
•Additive Markers
•Contrastive Markers
•ResultativeMarkers:
•Causal Markers
•SequentialMarkers
•Agreement Markers
•DisagreementMarkers
•Turn-TakingMarkers

34. Rhetorical Devices
Rhetorical devices are techniques used by speakers or writers to
persuade, evoke emotion, or create impact in communication.
They involve the deliberate use of language to achieve specific effects
on the audience.

35. 1.Alliteration
2.Metaphor
3.Simile
4.Hyperbole
5.Personification
6.Parallelism
7.Anaphora
8.Antithesis
9.RhetoricalQuestion
10.Irony
11.Repetition

36. Textual linguistics in use:
Textual linguistics can be implemented in English Language Teaching
(ELT) classes to enhancestudents' understandingof how language
functions in written texts and to developtheir proficiency in reading,
writing, and textual analysis.

37. TextAnalysisActivities
Engage students in analyzingauthentic texts such as articles, short
stories, or advertisements to identify linguistic features like cohesion,
coherence, discourse markers, and rhetorical devices..

38. Genre-BasedWritingTasks
Introduce students to different genres of writing, such as narratives,
reports, or opinion pieces, and teach them the specific linguistic
features and organizational structures associated with each genre.
Have students practice writing texts in various genres, applying their
understanding of textual linguistics principles.

39. Critical Reading Skills
Teach students how to critically evaluate texts by examining language
use, argumentation, and representation of information.
Encourage students to identify biases, assumptions, and persuasive
techniques employed in written texts, and to consider the social and
cultural contexts in which texts are produced and consumed.

40. TextReconstruction Activities
Provide students with fragmented texts or texts with missing
information and ask them to reconstruct the original text based on
their understanding of textual cohesion and coherence.

41. Text-BasedDiscussions
Facilitate discussions around authentic texts to encourage students to express
their opinions, analyze language use, and engage with different perspectives.
Use discourse markers and rhetorical devices as discussion promptsto guide
students in exploring the structure and meaning of the text.

42. ErrorAnalysis
Incorporate error analysis activities where students identify and correct
language errors in written texts, focusing on issues related to syntax, coherence,
cohesion, and genre appropriateness.
Encourage students to reflecton the linguistic principles underlying their
corrections.

43. Project-BasedLearning
Assign projects that require students to analyze and produce texts for specific
purposes and audiences, such as creating marketing materials, writing
research reports, or designing multimedia presentations.
Emphasize the importance of linguistic choices in achieving communicative
goals and engaging target audiences.

44. .
Textual linguistics
Structure Coherence Cohesion Communicative purposes Syntax SemanticsDiscourse markers Rhetorical devices
………. …………… ………….. ……………….. ……………. ……………… ……………….. ………………..

45. TEXTUAL LINGUISTICS
Structure Coherence Cohesion Communicative
purpose
Syntax Semantics Discourse
markers
Rhetorical
devices
•Narrative
•Argumentative
•Descriptive
•Sentence
•Paragraph
•Logical
progression of
ideas
•Use of
transition
devices
•Consistence of
topic focus
•Principle of
relevance
•Reference
•Substitution
•Ellipsis
•Connectives
•Informative
•Persuasive
•Entertainment
•Instructive
•Regulatory
•transactional
•Word order
•Subject-verb
agreement
•Modifiers
•Clause
•Sentence type
•Word
meaning
•Word relation
•Ambiguity
•Idioms
•Sentence
meaning
•Transition
•Additive
•Contrastive
•Causal
•Alliteration
•Metaphor
•Simile
•Irony
•Anaphora
•Antithesis
•Hyperbole

46. Potential confusion:
The boundaries between textual linguistics, discourse analysis, and
pragmatics can be somewhat confusing, as these fields often overlapin
their study of language use and communication. However, there are
some key distinctions that can help clarify their respective focuses.

47. Aspect Textual LinguisticsDiscourse AnalysisPragmatics
Focus
Analysis of texts as
linguistic entities
Examination of
language in larger
units of
communication
Study of language use
in specific contexts
Emphases Internalfeaturesof texts
Dynamic aspects of
discourse
Pragmatic aspects of
language
Examples
Coherence, cohesion, text
organization
Turn-taking, topic
management, speech
acts
Implicature, speech
acts…
Key Questions
How is language
structured within texts?
How does language
function in discourse?
How do language
users navigate
meaning in
interaction?

48. Quiz : Fill in the blank so as to complete the
definition of textual linguistics:
“Textual linguistics is a ……. of linguistics that focuses on the study of
texts as units of …………. It examines how language is organized and
used within ………. or ……… texts to convey ………… and achieve ………..
purposes. Textual linguistics helps us understand how linguistic features
such as ………, ………, ………., and ………… operate at the level of larger
units of discourse, such as paragraphs, conversations, speeches,
or………. documents. By analyzing texts through a ………..lens, we gain
insights into how meaning is ………, structured, and ……….. in various
contexts, enabling us to ………… effectively and comprehend the
messages conveyed in ………...”

49. Textual linguistics:
“Textual linguistics is a branchof linguistics that focuses on the study of
texts as units of communication. It examines how language is organized
and used within writtenor spokentexts to convey meaningand achieve
communicativepurposes. Textual linguistics helps us understand how
linguistic features such as syntax, semantics, coherence, and cohesion
operate at the level of larger units of discourse, such as paragraphs,
conversations, speeches, or writtendocuments. By analyzing texts
through a linguisticlens, we gain insights into how meaning is created,
structured, and interpretedin various contexts, enabling us to
communicateeffectively and comprehend the messages conveyed in
texts.”

50. •Text and Context: Explorations in the Semantics and Pragmatics of
Discourse. TeunA. van Dijk
•Introduction to Text Linguistics. Robert-Alain de Beaugrandeand
Wolfgang U. Dressler
•Discourse Analysis: An Introduction. Barbara Johnstone
•Textual Dynamics of the Professions: Historical and Contemporary
Studies of Writing in Professional Communities. Charles Bazermanand
James R. Martin,eds.