Additional Defintions

Question 1

What is the definition of ‘Audience’ in the context of a text?

Answer 1

The receivers or intended receivers of a text (written, spoken, multimodal)

The concept of an ideal audience/reader/narratee is often found in critical discourse. Texts might also have multiple audiences.

Question 2

Define ‘Conceptual metaphor’.

Answer 2

A systematic use of metaphor that maps an abstract target domain to a more concrete source domain

For example, an abstract concept such as language might be mapped to a more concrete source domain such as a tool or a doorway.

Question 3

What is a ‘Corpus’?

Answer 3

A body of language data that has been systematically gathered and stored for language analysis

For example, the British National Corpus consists of over 100 million words and has been used to analyse patterns and trends in English usage.

Question 4

What does ‘Discourses’ refer to in language study?

Answer 4

Modes of language, registers, or ways of thinking about and presenting something

Examples include spoken or written discourse, medical or legal discourse, and different representations of language.

Question 5

What is ‘Foregrounding’ in textual analysis?

Answer 5

The way texts emphasise key events or ideas through attention-seeking devices

This can be through lexis, semantics, phonology, or grammar that either repeat content (parallelism) or break established patterns (deviation).

Question 6

What are the two types of deviation in Foregrounding?

Answer 6

• External: breaking from normal conventions of language use
• Internal: breaking from a previously established pattern in the text

External deviation might include the use of nonsense words or ungrammatical constructions.

Question 7

What is genre?

Answer 7

The way of categorising and classifying different types of texts according to their features or expected shared conventions or functions.

Genres are fluid and dynamic, evolving with new technologies and cultural practices.

Question 8

How do genres come into being?

Answer 8

As the result of people agreeing about perceived similar characteristics in terms of content or style.

This agreement leads to the classification of texts into recognized genres.

Question 9

What does literariness refer to?

Answer 9

The degree to which a text displays qualities that mean that people see it as literary and as literature.

Literariness is best viewed as a continuum rather than a binary classification.

Question 10

How should we view literariness?

Answer 10

As a continuum rather than viewing texts as absolutely ‘literary’ or ‘non-literary’.

Many ‘non-literary’ texts can display aspects of creative language use.

Question 11

What is modality in language use?

Answer 11

A system linked to the level of certainty, obligation, doubt, or confidence towards events and actions on the part of the text producer.

Modality can be expressed through modal adverbs and auxiliary verbs.

Question 12

Give examples of modal adverbs.

Answer 12

Examples include ‘probably’, ‘maybe’, and ‘definitely’.

These adverbs indicate varying levels of certainty.

Question 13

What are modal auxiliary verbs?

Answer 13

Examples include ‘must’, ‘could’, and ‘might’.

These verbs express necessity, possibility, or ability in relation to actions.

Question 14

What is the definition of ‘mode’ in communication?

Answer 14

The way in which language is communicated between text producer and receiver, such as as an image, in writing, in digital forms, in speech, or as a logo.

Question 15

How is ‘mode’ related to ‘medium’?

Answer 15

‘Mode’ is related to ‘medium’ in that medium refers to how messages are mediated (e.g., paper or digital text).

Question 16

What does ‘channel’ refer to in communication studies?

Answer 16

The physical means of transmission, such as auditory, visual, or olfactory.

Question 17

What aspects does ‘mode’ encompass?

Answer 17

Planning and spontaneity, distance between text producer and receiver, and the transitory or long-lasting nature of a text.

Question 18

True or False: Mode is a binary opposition.

Answer 18

False.

Question 19

What is a ‘narrative’?

Answer 19

A type of text or discourse that functions to tell a series of events, organized by a narrator to narratees.

Question 20

What are the two distinctive parts of a narrative?

Answer 20

• The story: events, places, characters, and time of action
• The narrative discourse: the shaping of those building blocks into something worth telling.

Question 21

Define ‘patterns’ in the context of language use.

Answer 21

A broad term that can cover areas related to language use, including syntactical, semantic, phonological, and graphological patterns.

Question 22

What is an example of a syntactical pattern?

Answer 22

A repeated grammatical structure.

Question 23

What does a semantic pattern involve?

Answer 23

Words or phrases that are linked or contrasted in meaning.

Question 24

What are phonological patterns?

Answer 24

Literary devices such as alliteration and rhyme.

Question 25

What do graphological patterns refer to?

Answer 25

Repeated or contrasting design features.

Question 26

How can patterns operate on the level of discourses?

Answer 26

By constructing familiar ideas using repeated conceptual metaphors (e.g., life as a journey).

Question 27

What can patterns help explore in a text?

Answer 27

The internal structure of a text and the possible intentions behind such structures.

Question 28

What is point of view?

Answer 28

The way in which events and experiences are filtered through a particular perspective to provide a particular version of reality.

Question 29

What are the aspects related to point of view in a narrative?

Answer 29

• How a narrative is presented in terms of space and time through deixis, time frames, and flashbacks/flashforwards
• A particular ideological viewpoint, often shown through modal verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
• Distinguishing between who tells and who sees in the narrative

Question 30

How can a narrative’s point of view be affected by ideological viewpoints?

Answer 30

Through the use of modal verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to stress belief or commitment and/or the use of idiosyncratic words and phrases.

Question 31

What does positioning refer to in a text?

Answer 31

How a text producer places or orientates themselves to the subject being presented and towards the audience or reader being addressed.

Question 32

What is the purpose of a text?

Answer 32

The intention or objective behind a text in terms of what it is designed to do and how it is used.

Question 33

True or False: Texts can have only one purpose.

Answer 33

False

Question 34

Fill in the blank: Point of view may be related to how a narrative is presented in terms of _______.

Answer 34

[space and time]

Question 35

Fill in the blank: The intention or objective behind a text is referred to as its _______.

Answer 35

[purpose]

Question 36

What narrative technique distinguishes between who tells and who sees?

Answer 36

Narrative told in the third person but filtered through a particular character’s consciousness.

Question 37

What is a register in language?

Answer 37

A variety of language associated with a particular field of reference, such as occupational discourse.

Registers can be written, spoken, or multimodal.

Question 38

Define representation in the context of language.

Answer 38

How experiences, views, and ideas are ‘re-presented’ to influence readers, listeners, and viewers.

This involves using language and other meaning-making resources.

Question 39

What does style refer to in a text?

Answer 39

The level of formality in a text.

Style can vary within the same register, such as an occupational register.