Text Linguistics

Teacher(s)

Simon Anne-Catherine;

Language

French

Main themes

Main concepts : text ; medial (graphic and phonic code) and conceptual (language of distance and proximity) dimensions, microsyntax and macrosyntax, phrase, material dimension (intonation, punctuation etc.), discursive markers, pragmatic markers, connectors, cohesion, informational progression, coherence etc.

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	By the end of this activity, students will be able to - define what a text is and the contribution made by the linguistics of the text to its interpretation ; - clarify the distinction between written and spoken language and explain the impact of the method of production on the formal aspects of a text ; - identify within a text the relevant elements for its structure and interpretation; - analyse a short text or an extract by highlighting the cohesion and coherence devices ; - read, understand and compare different academic articles on the same issue (transversal competence)

Content

A text forms an autonomous linguistic sequence (oral or written) produced within the framework of an attested social practice. Based on this definition, the course presents key concepts for analyzing texts at different levels of organization.
For any text, we will be able to answer the following questions:

• Which dimensions of the production situation influence formal characteristics of a text? A reflection on the difference between the language of distance (written style) and the language of proximity (oral style) and on the formal marks of this difference (syntax, lexicon, pragmatics, etc.).
• How to segment a text? The role of syntax, material (e.g. punctuation, rhymes, oral pauses) and discursive dimensions in identifying relevant units for interpreting a text (sentences, verses, paragraphs, sequences, periods, etc.).
• How are cohesion and continuity ensured in a text? The role of anaphoric marks and co-reference chains.
• How can a text be interpreted coherently, as a whole? The role of discourse markers and information structure.
• How are texts classified or categorized? The notions of register, type and genre of texts.

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Lectures (including exercises), homework assignments (individually and in groups), reading of scientific articles. Lectures can be given in person, at a distance or in co-modality.

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

In the June session, the final grade is based on continuous assessment (20%), group work (60%) and individual work (20%). In the September session, the final grade is based on individual work only.

Online resources

Moodle: https://moodleucl.uclouvain.be/course/view.php?id=9561

Teaching materials

• Voir Moodle.

Faculty or entity

ELAL