Register Theory: Tenor and Field - UAMweb.uam.es/.../filoinglesa/Courses/DA2011/DA-2011-class3.pdf · Register Theory: Tenor and Field English Discourse Analysis Week 3, 2010-11

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Register Theory:

Tenor and Field

English Discourse Analysis

Week 3, 2010-11

Rachel Whittaker (Grp 41)

Mick O’Donnell, Laura Hidalgo (Grp 46)

TenorTenor: “the people involved in the communication and the

relationships between them”

• Includes:

– Power relations:

• Unequal: father/daughter, doctor/patient, teacher/student

• Equal: friend/friend, student/student

– Formality: formal/informal

Informal: I handed my essay in kinda late coz my kids got sick.

Formal: The reason for the late submission of my essay was the

illness of my children.

– Closeness: distant/neutral/close

– Contact: frequent/rare

2. Register Theory2.3 Tenor

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• Correlations are common:

– Equal power relations tend to encourage less formality

(e.g., two doctors can relax while discussing a case)

– But not always:

• Teacher talking to other teachers in a meeting may maintain

formality.

• Two parents at a school may maintain more formal relations

– Unequal power relations often imply social

distance (but Father-Daughter?)

– Frequent interaction tends to promote less

formality and distance


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Tenor: formality vs closeness: Close (personal) texts tend to be more informal, so these categories tend to overlap, but do not always. Is the following:

• Formal or informal?• Close or distant?



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REALISATIONS OF TENOR:

Modalization to express possibility/opinion:

Are you going? I may.

Is this yours? It could be.

Modalization to express deference/ suggestions:

May I go?

Could I borrow it?


REALISATIONS OF TENOR: Speech

• Power relations:

– The less powerful is less likely to interrupt, while the more powerful

may.

– The more powerful can pause longer between moves without being

interrupted.

– The more powerful may issue commands, while the less powerful

makes polite requests

• Knowledge Roles

– The less knowledgable more likely to initiate questions, while the

more knowledgable more likely to answer them.

• Closeness/Familiarity: personal closeness and familiarity lessen the

effect of power roles.


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Field: what the text is about:

• Typical fields: science, education, war, medicine, sports.

• Can be more specific:

– Science: biology: microbiology: virology: plant viruses

– Education: Language education: English Language education: Secondary level English Education

• Additionally, can be placed on a cline of:

– Technical vs. non-technical: is the vocabulary specific to the field, or does it use vocabulary common to other fields?

– Technical vocabulary may be used in other fields but have different meaning in the current field:

• “constituent” (politics) : member of a political unit

• “constituent” (linguistics): a syntactic unit

2. Register Theory2.4 Field


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2. Text and Text TypesLexical FieldsLexical Fields: Field relates very strongly to the lexis.

• Lexical fields: sets of words which are related.

• A single text may have more than one lexical field:

• Football: match, springbok, tour, rugby side, ground, pitch

• Protest: controversial, angry protesters, chant, slogans, disrupt

• War: victor, clashes, annihilating, forces, guarding, invade

• Reporting: special satellite report

The first match of the highly controversial springbok tour of New

Zealand produced two victors today: the South Africans and the

police. The Springboks had the easier of the clashes annihilating a

Poverty Bay rugby side twenty-four to six. But the NZ police forces

guarding the ground at Gisbourne had to cope with dozens of angry

protesters who chanted anti-apartheid slogans, blew whistles to

disrupt the match, and made two attempts to invade the pitch. Here is

today’s special satellite report.


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• Field: Cooking: indian cooking, not highly technical

• Tenor: an expert ‘cook’ to amateur readers,

neutral formality, neutral distance

• Mode: Written, prepared, intended to be read during cooking

2.5 Language and its Context: EXAMPLE

Yoghurt with walnuts and fresh coriander

Akhrote ka raita

Another cooling, nourishing dish. It may be eaten by itself or served with

Indian meals.

Serves 6

20 fl oz (570 ml) plain yoghurt

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Beat lightly with a fork or whisk until smooth and

creamy. Add all the other ingredients. Stir to mix.

REGISTER ANALYSIS AND DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE LINGUISTIC SYSTEM- WHAT TO LOOK AT (= THE FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF LANGUAGE)

SITUATIONAL VARIABLE TYPE OF MEANINGS PART OF THE LINGUISTIC SYSTEM THAT REALIZES THAT MEANING

FIELD: Activity, topic EXPERIENTIAL MEANINGS:

“Language is used to organize,

understand and express our

perceptions of the world and of

our own consciousness.”-

Processes (types of verbs: actions,

relations thinking, perceiving, liking

etc.), -participants (semantic types in

subject and object position etc), -

circumstances

TENOR

Relations of power, equality

INTERPERSONAL MEANINGS:

“Language is used to enable us to participate in communicative acts with other people, to take on roles and to express and understand feelings, attitude

and judgements.”

-Clause structure: declarative,

imperative, interrogative; -modality: certainty and obligation;-attitude: positive/negative lexis

MODE

Distance between communicators– written or

spoken

TEXTUAL MEANINGS:

“Language is used to relate what

is said or written to the real world

and to other linguistic events.

This involves the use of language

to organize the text itself.”

Linear organization of the content:

-first position vs last position;

-given information vs. new information -clauses vs. noun phrases;

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DOING REGISTER ANALYSIS: THE QUESTIONS

MODE

A. What is the physical distance between the interlocutors?

What are the possibilities of contact between them?

B. What is the distance between the use of language and the activity (social process) it realizes?

FROM A AND B: Does language make an activity in the world possible (collaboration between speakers) = language as action?

OR is the use of language the activity itself = language as reflection?

Linguistic features (basically +/-spoken/written)

Monologue or not?

Appearance of I/you? (invitation to participate?)

Context dependent or not? (use of deixis: it, they, here, now)

Spontaneous or not? (corrections, non-standard forms)

Lexically dense noun phrases or lexically light clauses?

TENOR

What are the relations between the speaker/writer and hearer/reader in terms of power (equal/unequal), contact (frequent/infrequent), affective involvement(high/low)?

Linguistic features (basically expressions of +/-power/equality)

Is knowledge stated as fact or negotiated? (stated = power, possibility opens space for other)

Attitudinal or neutral lexis? (evaluative language =power)

Colloquial or formal lexis?

Vocatives showing roles/relations?

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FIELD

• What is the activity the participants are carrying out?

OR

• What is the topic of the text?

• How much knowledge does the speaker/writer

assume the hearer/reader has?

• Linguistic features (basically sets of nouns/verbs)

• Lexical sets show content area (activity or topic).

• Do technical terms or jargon make it difficult to

understand the language (=exclusion of outsiders)?

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Variable Context of production Linguistic features of text

Mode

Tenor

Field

variable Context of

production

Linguistic features of text

MODE

Physical distance

between producer

and receiver of text:

maximum

Language makes a

social activity

possible- requesting

financial support,

and inviting

communication

between writer-

reader

Context independent: endophoric deixis:

this refers to over 600, the newsletter is

the title of the text.

Non-spontaneous: no corrections or non-

standard forms

Information structured in clauses:

paratactic: and, but; hypotactic: because, if

(reflects speech, achieves closeness to

reader)

NPs not v dense: Det + N+N+N: the

Labrador Rescue Trust; Det + Adj + N: a

fantastic membership

Some + post-modification: your continued

support via subscription; kind sponsorship

from advertisers; your items for inclusion

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variable Context of

production


TENOR

Power: writer as

editor has power,

but readers are

recognised as +

power to

(dis)continue

support

Contact: possible

via letter? Small

association

Affect: a certain

amount assumed,

share of love for

dogs

Knowledge stated as fact: supporters

… number over 600! Editing is a

pleasure, everything is read.

Writer evaluates: fantastic, kind,

pleasure

Formal lexis: your continued support

via subscription (2 abstractions)

And informal phrases: short of space,

bear with me

Polite requests: Please + imperatives:

Please let me know, please keep

sending

Promise: (it) will be included

variable Context of

production


FIELD

Activity: request

for support for an

association

Knowledge

assumed:

Readers are

members, so they

know about the

work; others not

excluded by

jargon or

references

Lexis: some specialised lexis,

but not overly technical.

Lexical fields:

•Publishing: Editor, publishing,

newsletter x 2, advertisers, editing,

content, newsletter items, item,

appear, issue, space, ...

•Association: SUPPORTERS, The

Labrador Rescue Trust, membership,

support, subscription, sponsorship

•Enjoyment: pleasure, like

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BRIEF INTERPRETATION OF THE REGISTER FEATURES

FOUND:

Text B is a letter written by the editor of a small

charity which rescues dogs (Labradors), (probably

dogs which have been ill-treated) requesting money

from the members. The request is made indirectly,

via the magazine it publishes, informing members of

its activities, and including information from the

members themselves (participation, group

formation).

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A. Now, should I give the meat another quarter of an hour before we put the potatoes and stuff in?

B. How long's it had?

A. Had about ..must've had about quarter of an hour

B. Oh.. The potatoes don't need to be in for more than, for much more than an hour, do they?

A. No, so if we leave it say leave it say for another half hour, then..oh dear

B. You've planned about two hours of cooking haven't you?

A. Yeah Umm

B. So another half hour will give the potatoes an hour and a quarter

A. No an hour

B. To be safe uha

A. It'll give them an hour. Right.

B. And the parsnips maybe earlier cos they're harder

A. No no They won't cook they won't cook fa They certainly won't cook faster than the potatoes even

B. No I'd've said slower

A. Sorry, what I mean is they it takes them not very long

B. uha despite their hardness

A. despite their ...??

B. Right now let's see. .. has she? has she taken the cork out?

(Laughter)

A. Taken the cork ? No no (Laughter) ... she's ..taken the top

B. No, no she's .. an on-going ...conceptual disagreement Huh

A. Oh yes? should I take this out? I don't.

B. The first instructions I ever read of Delia's said take the cork out (laugher) so I've obediently done it ever since

A. Never having read it , I don't do it, and it tastes just as good the same

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Variable Context of production Linguistic features of text

Mode

Tenor

Field

variable Context of

production


MODE

Physical distance

between producer

and receiver of

text is minimum:

face-to –face

Language is used

to make possible

a social activity:

cooking

Dialogue: turntaking

context dependent:

I/we, and she has she…? referring a

third person present but less involved

in the activity of cooking

spontaneous: laughter, repetitions,

incomplete utterances, ellipsis,

corrections: yeah, umm, uha

everyday lexis:

potatoes etc

grammar of speech:

noun phrases: light, usually Det+H:

the meat, the potatoes vague words:

and stuff

Spoken signals of change of topic:

Right now let’s see.

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variable Context of

production


TENOR

Power: equal

(almost)

Contact:

probably

frequent

Distance:

close

A lot of negotiation:

• questions, tags, conditionals to

make suggestions, politeness:

Sorry what I mean is,

• giving in: uha despite their

hardness

Some power shown: direct

negation No, an hour.

Evaluation- tastes just as good

Informal phrases

No vocatives

variable Context of

production


FIELD

Language as

action: activity

of cooking-

two people are

getting a meal

Knowledge:

of cooking,

of tv cooks

(cultural ref)

Lexical sets:

food- meat, potatoes, parsnips, cook x 3., cork (wine)- take out

Time- + advs of manner and taking time- faster, slower, (not very) long etc.

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variable Context of

production


MODE

Physical distance

between producer

and receiver of text-

maximum

No chance of

communication

writer-reader

normally (letter to

the paper =

possibility, not

direct)

Language as

reflection on event,

informing and

evaluating

Monologue, No I/you

Context independent: endophoicic

deixis “he” = the Wolves striker” =

“Ndah”

Non-spontaneous: no corrections

visible, no non-standard forms.

Information structured in clauses,

narrating the highlights of the match,

reflecting oral commentary.

NPs not very dense: Det+Adj+N: “a

severe blow”,”their bitter rivals”, “a

square defence”, a through ball”, “a

bad mistake”, a close-range header”,

“a narrow angle”

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variable Context of

production


TENOR

Power: writer

is expert.

But readers

could stop

buying the

paper to read

this section.

Affect: none

Knowledge stated as fact: writer

selects newsworthy events;

past tense indicates this

occurred, according to the

expert.

Writer evaluates: : “a severe

blow”, “an emphatic victory”,

“a bad mistake”, “good saves”;

Formal lexis

variable Context of

production


FIELD

Language used to

reflect on an

event: a football

match = topic

A certain amount

of knowledge is

assumed: the

teams are

referred to by

shortened forms;

football jargon;

general readers

not excluded

though

Lexical sets:

Football: home side, Division

One, scored/ing, volleyed,

saved, a kick, a header, shoot,

a shot, a pass, goal, ball,

defence, keeper

Conflict: clash, rivals, victory,

control, threatened, attacks,

blocked, unchallenged.

Wolves, West Brom, Molineux,

a short corner routine

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• COULD THIS BE A RECIPE IN A COOKERY BOOK?

• LEXIS:

• Nouns with the semantic feature + edible

• Nouns in the lexical set of utensils

• Verbs of actions of preparation of food

• GRAMMAR:

• + Quantifiers

• + Preposition phrases

• + Imperatives

• + Circumstantials of time, place, manner

• + Endophoric reference (anaphoric)

• FEATURES OF REGISTER—FEATURES OF CONTEXT

• IS IT A RECIPE IN A COOKERY BOOK?

• MODE

• Choose half a dozen of those, break them here in this, and do this here.

• Now mix them with this.

• A bit more of that

• TENOR

• Please could you beat 6 eggs, if you don’t mind.

• It would be a good idea if you could perhaps do it for about five minutes, if it’s not too much trouble.

• Hi there you guys!! Here we’ve got a scrumptious recipe!!

• Come on everybody!! Get down to work.

• FIELD

• Title: The garden in autumn

• Lexical sets: plant, stems, golden leaves

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Interest in the use of language in society

the "linguistic turn" in many disciplines

language and the construction of knowledge

relevance of knowledge of language to the individual as a member of a particular society

Foucault: "the orders of discourse"

Bordieu: "the linguistic market-place"

We need to function (linguistically) in different contexts

(con-text vs co-text)

How?

Experience + many text-types and situations

Or these can be made explicit

1. "Well, now I'm picking up my pen, but I haven't got many ideas..."

2. "Don't do that."

3. "Put it there."

4. "As it says here in this book..."

5. "I agree with this..."

6. unfortunately, surprisingly

7. fantastic, shitty, unbelievable

8. would you like a chocolate?

9. how about some of these yummy chockies?

Documents

Register Theory: Tenor and Field - UAMweb.uam.es/.../filoinglesa/Courses/DA2011/DA-2011-class3.pdf · Register Theory: Tenor and Field English Discourse Analysis Week 3, 2010-11