Textual Variations And Representations Flashcards
What is meant by audience?
This can be defined by values and interests as well as by demographic factors such as age, gender, education, social class, occupation, national origin
What is meant by purpose?
Some texts are exclusively informational while others are entirely social, most will have elements or both
What is meant by genre?
Texts can be grouped according to their types or genres, they can often belong to more than one genre
What is meant by mode?
This refers to whether a text is spoken or written, with ordinary spontaneous conversation at one extreme and formal written documents at the other
What is tone or level or formality?
Texts can often be places somewhere on a scale from informal to formal tone, the American linguist Martin Joos (1962) distinguished between five different levels of formality, this framework was designed to apply to spoken English but it can be relevant to writing as well
What were the five different levels of formality that Joos suggested?
Frozen level, formal level, consultative level, casual level, intimate level
What is the frozen level of formality? (Joos)
This is characterised by the use of set phrases in ceremonial, ritual or very conventional situations
What is the formal level of formality (Joos)?
This level is normally used by a speaker addressing an audience where interaction and interruption are not normally permitted
What is the consultative level of formality? (Joos)
This is the level of formality normally used in exchanges between people who are not family, friends or acquaintances but where interaction between and among speakers is the norm
What is the casual level of formality? (Joos)
This is used between people who know each other reasonably well in informal settings, features can include the use of colloquial forms, with interruptions being permitted and even expected
