Mastering Textual Properties for Effective Communication
Linguistic Fitness in Communication
Linguistic diversity signifies that language is neither uniform nor homogenous; it possesses variations depending on many factors such as geography, history, social group, etc. (e.g., ‘bus’ vs. ‘coach’). Furthermore, within the same dialect, language offers distinct registers: formal, colloquial, specialized, and so on. For example, consider ‘work’ (colloquial), ‘do’, ‘perform’, or ‘produce’. While potentially synonymous in certain contexts, they carry different sociolinguistic values: the first is informal/familiar, while the latter options belong to more formal, standard, or specialized registers. Being linguistically ‘fit’ means being able to choose the most appropriate language solution from all available options for each specific communication situation.
An oral or written text achieves the necessary fitness if:
- The text successfully achieves the communicative purpose for which it was produced (e.g., reporting a fact, voicing an opinion, making a request).
- The personal treatment used (e.g., formal ‘you’ vs. informal ‘you’) is appropriate for the situation and remains consistent throughout the text.
- It maintains a consistent level of formality (either high or low) throughout. If high formality is chosen, vulgar or colloquial expressions should be avoided. If low formality is used, overly technical or erudite words should not appear.
- It maintains a consistent degree of specificity (high or low) throughout the text. If the subject matter is specialized, it is logical to use the specific terminology of that field.
Textual Consistency and Information Flow
Consistency refers to the domain of information processing. It determines what relevant information should be communicated and how it should be structured. This is a crucial aspect of textual coherence. Key aspects include the amount and quality of information and its effective structuring.
Cohesion: Connecting Sentences Grammatically
Cohesion refers to the grammatical connections within a text. Sentences forming a discourse are linked through various grammatical means (punctuation, conjunctions, articles, pronouns, etc.), creating a network of linguistic connections that enables encoding and decoding of the text. Major forms of cohesion include:
- Anaphora: Repetition of the same element or reference in successive sentences.
- Deixis: Pronouns and adverbs indicating the real-world referents relevant to the discourse (e.g., ‘here’, ‘now’, ‘this’, ‘they’).
- Connection: Use of connectors like conjunctions (e.g., ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’) and linking phrases (e.g., ‘however’, ‘in addition’).
- Punctuation: Marks used to structure sentences and signal relationships between clauses.
- Verb Tense Consistency: Maintaining logical time references.
- Semantic Relations: Connections in meaning between words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms).
- Paralinguistic Mechanisms: Non-verbal cues in speech or formatting cues in writing.
Stylistic Quality and Expressiveness
Stylistic analysis examines the expressive power of a text. This includes aspects like: linguistic richness and variation, and the quality and accuracy of vocabulary (lexicon). Stylistic elements also encompass literary or rhetorical resources commonly used in fields like journalism, advertising, literature, and scientific writing.
Presentation: Formatting and Delivery
Presentation covers aspects ranging from the social conventions expected for each type of text to the specific skills of the interlocutors. Both oral and written texts are presented from the issuer’s perspective to the audience. Therefore, good diction (in oral communication) and clear writing (in written communication) are essential to facilitate the receiver’s understanding.
Oral Presentation
Includes control of voice (volume, pitch, pace), effective use of pauses, and appropriate intonation. Nonverbal language (gestures, posture) is also important.
Written Presentation
Includes aspects such as: legibility (calligraphy or font choice), text cleanliness, effective use of white space, logical arrangement of text parts (paragraphs, sections), appropriate use of typeface features (e.g., bold, italics, uppercase, lowercase), and standard formatting for long documents (e.g., index, pagination, bibliography).