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Week 7. Unit. 7.2.1.1. Characteristics of Written and Spoken Discourse

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8 views

Week 7. Unit. 7.2.1.1. Characteristics of Written and Spoken Discourse

Uploaded by

pmellz29
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Characteristics of

written and spoken


discourse
Unit. 7.2.1.1.
overview
 Speech is more spontaneous than writing. As a result of this, mistakes, repetitions,
sometimes less coherent sentences, depending on the type of the speech, even
grunts, stutters or pauses might be meaningful in particular contexts.
 In speech, speakers and listeners are most often in face-to-face encounters (unless
using a phone) they take advantage of extra-linguistic signals as grimaces,
gestures, expressions such as ‘here’, ‘now’, or ‘this’ or etc.
Written discourse
 Writing includes some medium which keeps record of the conveyed message.
 Writing develops in space in that it needs a means to carry the information (book,
article, magazine, journal, website, etc.).
 The author of the text does not often know who is going to read the text, as a
result he cannot adjust to readers' specific expectations.
 The writer is frequently able to consider the content of his work for almost
unlimited period of time which makes it more coherent, having complex syntax
(language rules, word order).
Cont…
 The reader might not instantly respond to the text, ask for clarification, hence neat message
organization, division to paragraphs, layout are of vital importance to make comprehension easier.
 Owing to the lack of context expressions such as 'now' or 'here' are omitted, since they would be
ambiguous as texts might be read at different times and places.
 One other feature typical of writing, but never of oral discourse, is the organization of tables,
formulas, or charts which can be portrayed only in written form.
 Wiśniewski 2006 http://www.tlumaczenia-angielski.info/linguistics/discourse.htm

Spoken /oral discourse

 Speech involves only air (takes up no ‘space’).


 Speech develops in time in that the speaker says with speed that is suitable for
him, even if it may not be appropriate for the listener and though a request for
repetition is possible, it is difficult to imagine a conversation in which every
sentence is to be rephrased.
 Talking might be spontaneous which results in mistakes, repetition, sometimes
less coherent sentences where even grunts, stutters or pauses might be meaningful.
Cont…
 The speaker usually knows the listener, or listeners, or he is at least aware of the fact that he is
being listened to, which enables him to adjust the register.
 As interlocutors (speakers) are most often in face-to-face encounters (unless using a phone) they
take advantage of extralinguistic signals as grimaces, gesticulation, expressions such as 'here',
'now', or 'this' are used.
 Employment of wrong vocabulary, slang and contracted forms (we're, you've) is another feature of
oral discourse.
 Among other significant features of speech there are rhythm, intonation, speed of uttering and,
what is more important, inability to conceal (cover/hide) mistakes made while speaking.
There are two main types of spoken discourse;

One of them is monologue

The other one is dialogues.


Turn-Taking
 Conversation is an initiative in which one person speaks, and another listens.
 Discourse analysts who study conversation note that speakers have systems for
determining when one person’s turn is over and the next person’s turn begins.
 This exchange of turns is signaled by such pragmatic means as intonation, pausing
or phrasing.
Discourse markers
 Discourse markers is the term linguists give to the words like ‘well’, ‘oh’, ‘but’,
and ‘and’ that break our speech up into parts and show the relation between parts.
 For example; ‘Oh’ prepares the hearer for a surprising or just-remembered item,
and ‘but’ indicates that sentence to follow is in opposition to the one before.
 NB: However, these markers do not necessarily mean what the dictionary says
they mean.
 For example; Some people use ‘and’ just to start a new thought, and some people
put ‘but’ at the end of their sentences, as a way of trailing off gently.
Types of Discourse Markers
 1. Understanding checks: These are signals used by the speaker to check whether
what has been said is understood, such as;
 In English: y’know, right?, huh?, etc.
 2. Attention signals are used by the listeners to show that they are following the
conversation, such as;
 In English: m’hm, uh-huh, wow, really?, etc.
 3. Manipulative Discourse Markers: Discourse markers are words that are used to
manipulate the conversation such as;
 In English: well, I’m not sure anyway, she finally quit, it doesn’t matter though they
all left early, y’know
Cont…
 4. Hedges are linguistic devices: They are the discourse markers that are used in order to
show that the speaker is not totally involved in what is being said. In other words, the
speaker is trying to weaken the impact of the utterance. These are;
 In English: kind of, sort of, a little (bit), well, let’s say, etc.

 5. Tag Questions: They are the questions, asked to obtain confirmation of the listener on a
previously uttered statement. Tag questions with auxiliary, reversed negative polarity and
personal pronoun.
 Examples in English:
 a. ‘It’s cold, isn’t it?’ or ‘It’s not cold, is it?’
 b. ‘Judy will win, won’t she?’ or ‘Judy won, didn’t she?’

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