Key Terms Flashcards
What is context?
The situation in which a text is produced or received…
Mode
The medium of communication
E.g writing or speech
Context of reception
The situation the text is read in + factors that might influence readers interpretation
Context of production
The situation the text is produced + factors that might influence it’s writing
Implied reader
The kind of reader the text producer has in mind when writing and who might be expected to follow the authors point of view
Implied writer
A constructed image of the writer a reader may have in mind
Primary purpose
The main reason the text has been produced
Secondary purpose
A secondary and sometimes more subtle reason
Idiolect
An individual style of speaking or linguistic fingerprint
Sociolect
A defined use of language as a result of membership of a social group
Discourse community
A group with shared values and approaches to reading
Register
A variety of language appropriate to particular purpose and context
Field
The general purpose of an act of communication
Tenor
The relationship between the participants in a conversation or between text producer and receiver
Dialect
The language variety of a geographical region or social background revealed by a variation in lexical and grammatical terms
Accent
The specific way words are pronounced according to geographical region
Standard English
A universally excepted dialect of English that carries a degree of prestige
Representation
The projection of a certain way of thinking about a particular individual, group or institution through the use of language
Specialist register
A set of lexical items and grammatical constructions particular to an institution or occupational group
Jargon
Specialist terminology that may exclude others
Slang
Colloquial language that is intensive and particular to individuals or groups
Denotation
A strict “dictionary” meaning of a lexical item
Connotation
An associated symbolic meaning relying on culturally shared conventions
Semantical or lexical field
Lexical items that are similar in a range of meaning and properties
Synonymy
Words with very similar semantic value
Antonymy
Words with opposite semantic value
Hyponymy
The terms of the hierarchical structure that exists between lexical items
Euphemism
A socially acceptable word or phrase used to avoid talking about something potentially distasteful
Dysphemism
A harsh, “to-the-point”, and perhaps taboo term, sometimes used for dark humorous effect
