- Contextuality
- Definition: Contextuality refers to the influence of the surrounding circumstances on the meaning and interpretation of discourse.
- Components:
- Physical Context: The actual location or setting where communication takes place (e.g., a classroom, a meeting room, online).
- Social Context: The relationships and roles of the participants involved in the communication (e.g., teacher-student, employer-employee).
- Cultural Context: The norms, values, and beliefs that shape how discourse is produced and understood (e.g., cultural customs, societal expectations).
- Situational Context: The specific circumstances or events prompting the discourse (e.g., a job interview, a casual conversation).
- Importance: Context shapes the meaning, appropriateness, and reception of discourse, determining how it is interpreted by participants.
- Interactivity
- Definition: Discourse is inherently interactive, involving a dynamic exchange between speakers and listeners or writers and readers.
- Features:
- Turn-taking: The organized exchange of speaking turns in conversation.
- Feedback: Responses from listeners or readers that influence the flow of discourse.
- Negotiation of Meaning: Participants collaboratively construct and negotiate meaning through discourse.
- Importance: Interaction shapes the development and outcome of discourse, ensuring that communication is reciprocal and responsive.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Coherence:
- Definition: The logical and meaningful connection of ideas within a discourse.
- Characteristics: A well-organized structure that allows the audience to follow and understand the progression of thoughts.
- Cohesion:
- Definition: The use of linguistic elements to link sentences and parts of a text together.
- Tools: Pronouns, conjunctions, transitional phrases, and lexical repetition.
- Importance: Coherence and cohesion are essential for creating a unified and comprehensible discourse.
- Purposefulness
- Definition: Discourse is produced with specific purposes and intentions.
- Types of Purposes:
- Informative: To provide information or explain something.
- Persuasive: To convince or influence the audience.
- Entertaining: To amuse or engage the audience.
- Expressive: To convey emotions, thoughts, or personal experiences.
- Importance: The purpose shapes the content, structure, and style of discourse, influencing how it is crafted and received.
- Genre and Form
- Definition: Discourse can be categorized into different genres and forms based on its function, style, and structure.
- Common Genres:
- Narrative: Telling stories or recounting events.
- Expository: Explaining or informing.
- Argumentative: Persuading or debating.
- Descriptive: Describing people, places, or things.
- Importance: Recognizing the genre helps in understanding the conventions and expectations associated with different types of discourse.
- Power and Ideology
- Definition: Discourse often reflects and reinforces power dynamics and ideological beliefs.
- Aspects:
- Authority: The role of power in shaping who gets to speak and how their discourse is received.
- Ideology: The underlying beliefs and values that are communicated through discourse.
- Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA): A method of examining how language perpetuates power structures and ideological beliefs.
- Importance: Understanding the power and ideological dimensions of discourse reveals hidden biases and social inequalities.
