3. Text Types and Text Forms 11.11.2014

8/10/2019 3. Text Types and Text Forms 11.11.2014

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Text Types and Text Forms

Prof. Mariana Neagu


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Definition of text-type

a set of correlations between linguisticfeatures and communicative purpose.

this set of correlations can be established oneither a linguistic basis (Biber 1989) or afunctional basis (Longacre 1976, Beaugrandeand Dressler 1981, Werlich 1983)


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Text typologiesEach author had used different parameters in his way of categorizing texts.

Jakobsons communication functions were used often as parameters:

The referential function The aesthetic function The emotive function The conative function The phatic function The metalingual function

One of the six functions is always the dominant function in a text and usuallyrelated to the type of text.


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Longacres (1976) classification Longacre (1976) proposes a four-fold typology based on two parameters:(1) temporal succession(2) agent orientation

The combination of these two parameters gives the four types of discourse: narrative procedural behavioral expository

Questions: How can one establish the relation between linguistic features and

communicative functions? Are actual texts found as pure types?


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Beaugrande and Dresslers (1981) typology

less developed in its linguistic characterization butprovides some useful hints in terms of its organization ofknowledge across types.

Descriptive: characterized by frames, i.e. the elements of aconcept belong together but without any order

Narrative: characterized by schemata , i.e. patterns ofevents and states integrated in temporal and casualsequences.

Argumentative: characterized by plans , defined as patternsof events and states leading to an intended goal .


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Werlichs (1983) typology

derives from the correlations among thefeatures of a text, context, and participants.

In this way, particular linguistic features are notonly linked to a communicative purpose butmotivated by this purpose.


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Werlichs (1983)textual typology

1. descriptive2. narrative

3. expository4. argumentative5. instructive

- adopted and adapted by Hatim and Mason(1990).


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Bibers (1985) text types

Biber identifies text types by means ofquantitative analysis, i.e., texts in a type sharefrequent use of the same set of co-occurringlinguistic features and hence reflect the samefunction.


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Bibers textual typology

Co-occurrence of linguistic features is discussedin terms of variation.

Dimensions of variation: Involved vs. informational production Narrative vs. non-narrative concerns Explicit vs. situation-dependent reference Overt expression of persuasion Abstract vs. non-abstract style


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Bibers linguistic typology of texts

These dimensions of variation include theselinguistic features: tense and aspect markers,place and time adverbials, pronouns,

questions, nominal forms, and passives.

The co-occurrence of these features was

analyzed in 481 spoken and written textsrepresenting 23 different genres with resultsthat produced his typology -> heterogenuous


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Linguistic or functional typologies?

neither linguistic nor functional typologies areinherently superior. (Martinez-Cabeza, 2002)

Linguistic textual typologies offer greaterdescriptive consistency but may producecounterintuitive classifications

Functional typologies may fail to justify

sufficiently inclusion within a type. texts are classified by readers perceptions

that include factors alien to linguistic features


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Text typologies in translationstudies

- Reiss (- Hatim and Mason


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Reiss (1977/1989) classification oftexts

- the need to preserve the dominant function of thetext in translation

- focuses on establishing a connection between text

type and the translation method.Informative (predominant language function:informative)

Creative (expressive function)Operative (appelative function)Audiomedial (films, commercials, visual and

spoken ads; + images, music, etc.)


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Reiss (1977/1989) view of audio -medial text translation

With audio-medial texts (e.g. adverts) the aimof the translation should be the production ofidentical behavioural reactions (Reiss1977/1989: 97-100). For this reason, theadaptive method is considered the bestsolution because of the equivalent effect

created among the TL readers.


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Reiss intralinguistic andextralinguistic factors in translation

intralinguistic criteria: semantic, lexical,grammatical and stylistic features.

extra-linguistic criteria: situation, topic, timeand place, receiver and sender, and issues ofhumour, irony, emotion etc, that showaffective implications.


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Hatim and Masons (1990)typology of texts

- reduce the five text types outlined by Werlichto three. According to their dominantcommunicative intention and rhetoricalpurpose, text types can be grouped into:

Expository (descriptive, narrative, conceptual) Argumentative (through-arguments and

counter-arguments) Instructive (with option and without option)


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The expository text-type

Descriptive(describing objects in space) Narrative (relating events in time)

Conceptual (explaining facts or concepts).


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The argumentative text-type

through-arguments (where a continuous lineof argument is followed throughout the text)

counter-arguments (in which the centralargument is preceded by a concession to anopposing view)


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The instructive text type

instruction without option (treaties, contractsand other legal documents)

instruction with option (advertisements andrecipes)


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Text Forms

proposed by Martinez-Cabeza(2002: 70) provide guidelines that help to establish

specific correlations between purpose andextra-linguistic context.


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1. Descriptive forms

- based on the representation of phenomena inspace.

- impressionistic descriptions (subjective):

functional coherence is often achieved by thefirst person singular point of view, while thetopical coherence is determined by theimpressions of phenomena in space.

- technical descriptions .(objective): composed inthird person and topicalization focuses on theelements of a whole.


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2. Narrative text forms

represent phenomena in time and can bereduced to an action-recording sentence. Thisrepresentation can be done in a subjective orobjective manner.

narratives reports news stories .


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Narratives

constitutes the most representative form of therecording of actions and events, usually from thepoint of view of subjective impressions in time.

functional coherence is established by means of apersonal point of view, either in first or thirdperson singular, together with past tense verbal

forms. topical coherence is developed through the focus

on persons and events in time.


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Reports

characterized by an objective frame orreference determined by a non-personal thirdperson point of view.

topical coherence is achieved by the focus onthe various situational factors of events: time,place, agents, objects, and relations.


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News stories

devised to provide information that enablesthe addressee to form an opinion.

range in their references to the reporters ownviews: news stories focused on facts andactions avoid them while comments, forexample, leading articles, focus on the

authors opinions


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The use of hyperbole in narration

A basic element Functions of hyperbole: evaluation, emphasis,

interest intensification, story vividness,humour.


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3. Expository text forms

exhibit the constituent elements of abstractconcepts.

can be analytic, synthetic or a combination ofboth.

tend to be explanatory (have a didactic aim) variants include: the expository essay ,

definition , summary .


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Expository essays

- the encoder presents an explanation ofconcepts, usually from a subjective point ofview.

- functional coherence is achieved through thefirst person singular or plural point of view, orthe non-personal third person point of view.

- topical coherence depends on the particularfield of knowledge where the object of theessay is included.


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Definitions and summaries

definitions = specific forms of analyticexpositions; typically represented byencyclopedic entries.

summaries = specific forms of syntheticexpositions; characterized by a high level ofabstraction and their structuring depends on

the original text


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4. Argumentative text forms

focus on the validity of relations amongconcepts. The producer states a problem as tothe classification of a given fact according to

systems of thought. subjective ( comment ): e. g. leading articles, objective ( scientific argumentation) .

In both cases the sequence that establishescohesion and completion are inductive,deductive or dialectical.


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5. Instructive text forms (I)

communicate about the planning of futurebehavior either of the encoder or the decoder.

- instructions: the point of view is personal and

the encoder usually adopts the first or secondperson point of view depending on whetherinstructions are directed to the sender or thereceiver.

- directions , rules and regulations stem from animpersonal authority.


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Instructive text forms (II)

functional coherence is achieved through thethird person point of view.

topical coherence is achieved by reference tophysical phenomena in the case of practicalinstructions and concepts and relations inrules and regulations.


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Conclusions

Text forms are posited as intermediate betweentypes and genres: text type -> text form -> genre

e.g. the instructive text type includes the forminstructions which in turn, has variants such asrecipes .

Combinations of forms: very frequent and

necessary to account for the fact that actual textsrarely display the whole set of featuresestablished for the abstract category.


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References (I)

Beaugrande, Robert de and WolfgangDressler,.1981. Introduction to text linguistics. Londonand New York : Longman.

Biber, D. 1989. A typology of English texts. InLinguistics , 27: 3-43 (pages3-11)

Hatim Basil and Ian Mason. 1990. Discourseand the Translator . London and New York:Longman.


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References (II)

Longacre, R.E. 1976. An Anatomy of SpeechNotions . Lisser: de Ridder.

Martin-Cabeza, M.A. 2002. The study oflanguage beyond sentence. From textgrammar to discourse analysis . Granada:Comares.

Werlich, Egon. 1983. A Text Grammar ofEnglish . Heidelberg: Quelle and Meyer.

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3. Text Types and Text Forms 11.11.2014