Language Varieties Genre Language Varieties Subject area literary
Language Varieties Genre
Language Varieties • Subject area (literary, technical, etc. ) • Function (narrative, argumentative, etc. ) • Sociolinguistic (dialect, sociolect, etc. )
Literary Texts • A literary text ‘declares its distance’ • (figures of speech, original language, noncasual language, etc. ) • Lack of intertextuality
Example • Night’s candles are burnt out and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain top.
Technical Texts • • Written language Particular lexis and grammar Nominalisation Lexically dense
Examples • The introduction of outdoor ventilation air is necessary when the conditionigng is occupied by people. • In a right-angled triangle, the square on the hypoteneuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides.
Legal/Commercial Texts • Legal – flawless, archaic, repetitive • Commercial - stylised
Example • Policy of the Community • Rules on Competition • The following shall be prohibited as incompatible with the common market: all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices between Member States and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the common market. …,
Example • Dear Mr. Smith, • We are pleased to advise you of our air parcel post shipment of yuor order no. 80/190 -09 for Westman spare parts • ……… • We look forward to hearing from you. • Yours sincerely
Advertising Texts • • Persuasive Expressive Spoken language written Particular lexis and grammar
Example BEANZ MEANZ HEINZ
Journalistic Texts • Particular language use in – headlines – reports – editorials – Cf. quality and tabloid newspapers
Example • Tyson faces prison sentence for rape • Beaten by the Belle • Yesterday in Baghdad, a suicide bomber attacked… • It is our firm comviction that the situation in Iraq…
Function - Narrative Linear flow Introduction – setting – complication – solution - ending
Function - Argumentative Introduction – body – conclusion argument for argument against argument for etc. arguments for arguments against
Sociolinguistic Dialect “there’s nowt so queer as folk” Sociolect dinner vs. lunch Nationlect elevator vs. lift New Zealanders use ‘going to’ three times more than the British
GENRE • Genre – sub-genre – Genrelet – Identified by configurations of obligatory elements (+ optional elements) – We recognise genres through intertextuality – we’ve seen them before. – Eg. Emergency telephone call
Genre • Recipes (books, Internet, TV) – Obligatory elements • Food lexis • Imperatives • Instructions
Sub-genre • Indian recipes – Obligatory elements Spices vocabulary Indian terminology (tandoori, poppadom)
genrelet • Phone-in Indian recipes – Obligatory elements • Conventional phone exchange (Hello, Thankyou for calling, etc. ) • Food lexis….
Discourse communities • David Johnson • student rugby player boyfriend son
Genre: register/context • Registers emerged to fulfil specific purposes and are recognised as such in context: STOP CHILDREN CROSSING
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