Linguistics Essay: The Role of Context in Shaping Language Meaning

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This essay delves into the critical role of context in shaping meaning within language. It begins by defining context, differentiating between linguistic and situational components, and emphasizing its importance for effective communication. The essay explores how context influences the interpretation of words, phrases, and entire utterances, providing examples to illustrate how meaning can change based on surrounding information. It also discusses the contribution of context to language by providing background information and clarifying the speaker's intentions. The essay highlights how context is essential for understanding deictic, anaphoric elements, and other linguistic features. Furthermore, the essay examines theoretical notions of context and its impact on language use, discourse analysis, and the construction of social identity. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of considering contextual dimensions in language teaching and communication.
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Running head: LINGUISTICS 1
In what way does context contribute to meaning in language?
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LINGUISTICS 2
Introduction
In writing context is the detail which surrounds the information. Without the context, the facts
there could be misinterpretation of the context that is understood (Akmajian, Farmer, Bickmore,
Demers & Harnish, 2017). The context aids the leaders to know what they might not have the
ability to comprehend. It is great the needed assistant, that is aiding the readers to determine on
the unknown words and at the same time seem sensible of the outside information. When it
comes to the language it is important to provide new words, concept and information so as to
develop the thoughts (Avgerou & Walsham, 2017). For instance there could be a quote from
various sources which needs to be explained to the reader and more information in needed to do
that. Therefore, this is what is regarded as the context.
As the language instructors, it is very important employ with the students to obtain the language
meaningfully, negotiate the meaning and as well grasp their messages through. They employ
with the students in actions which entail studying and listening understanding besides other
activities (Avgerou & Walsham, 2017). But the query to ask does teaching of the formal
attributes and language via the grammatical and vocabulary explanation gratify these types of
requirements? It is uncertain that these kind of teaching produce some great success because it
does overlooks on the importance aspect of the language, the element which takes context as a
significant part with regards to the construction of the meaning ( Avgerou & Walsham, 2017).
This is depending on the fact that teaching takes usage, formal characters of the language as the
solely component to understand would definitely fail to develop sufficient language skills in the
learners. Additionally, the usage teaching language given it is applied by the native speakers in
suitable contexts is the cornerstone to the second and foreign dialect training (Avgerou &
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LINGUISTICS 3
Walsham, 2017). In this essay, it will examine precisely how context contribute to the meaning
in the language.
What context mean
The context meaning in the language is made not merely by means of what the speakers asserts
to one another and via how they work with the words which accommodate the needs of their
social environment ( Avgerou & Walsham , 2017). The meaning entails the linguistic and a
situational component wherein the context of the language utilizes is important. The use of the
context in the language is exactly what might create the language to be distinctive to the humans.
Context is everything. It designs the meaning of any communication (Avgerou & Walsham,
2017). Without the context it is far from convenient to communicate effectively. Any time the
message has been transferred in one of the context but obtained in another, it could result in the
miscommunication (Bhatia, 2014). Context means several things (Carter, 2015). Context might
be linguistic, entailing the linguistic environment of the language item in addition to situational
which are comprised of linguistic elements which lead to the construction of the meaning.
With regards to the linguistic context or the verbal context it entails linguistic environment
wherein the word might be employed within the text (Bhatia, 2014). Comprehending on the
meaning of the language items utilizing the linguistic context might entail syntactic and
morphological interpretation of the elements within a certain text (Lefebvre, 2016). In determing
on the meaning of a concept, it is crucial recognize whether the item is the noun, verb or perhaps
adjective and adverb. This type of the details provides clues to the meaning of the text.
Nevertheless, this is not such acceptable to provide a complete comprehending to the utterances.
Everything is interpreted via the context. Context originates from precisely what people generate
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LINGUISTICS 4
and it originates from the schemas and the mental models of those that view on the design.
Context might exist at both the ends of the visual perception (Avgerou & Walsham, 2017).
Everything ends up with a tale in context. Not a fictional account of the situations but the story
regarding the person behind the site (Bhatia, 2014). The story ought to appeal to the group of
individuals which might turn out to be client. In the context you will discover some synthetic
structures which display a sentence are grammatically correct but meaningless at the same time.
An example; colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Although the sentence is grammatically correct, it is ludicrous and therefore it demonstrates
dissimilarity between the grammar and the meaning. This reveals that depending simply
linguistic components in text to obtain the meaning is not only enough. Meaning involves greater
than the grammatical description and it goes beyond the variety of the grammar to comprehend
the situational context which entails personal belief as well as understanding of the world.
Contribution of context to language
In context it means offering the readers with the situation, a back-ground picture of whether or
not the part of the information originated from and what it is required. In relation between the
language and context it is often thought that the meaning could vary with the context of the
utterance (Tymoczko, 2016). The linguistic meanings need to be leased out as genera
concurrently sustaining their identity to distinct contexts.
The context is exactly what creates the language logical, because it bears components which
reveal who and also issues they are talking about. This could be attained extensive features for
example deictic, anaphoric and anaphoric along with information which are signified in text
(Shrum & Glisan, 2015). The meaning could be inferred from the linguistic elements which
surrounds a particular word. The following illustration exhibits the meaning cannot be
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LINGUISTICS 5
accomplished without getting back to what appeared to be pointed out before; “we went to the
café. It was crowded’’. For that reason , striving to identify on the sentence it was crowded could
be completely acknowledged only if we learn what is the anaphoric and denote item in the café
(Halliday, Matthiessen & Halliday, 2014). You will discover courses in other context
components which lead to the meaning of the language. The meaning to these kinds of
expression is predetermined but they denote generally is dependent upon the time and place
where utterance is required (Tymoczko, 2016). Theoretical notion of context of utterance is
founded on the course upon the pre-theoretical notion of the context to which we could appeal
everyday in the use of the language.
Context might impact to way in which an expression is understood, hence, the norm of not citing
people out of the context (Tymoczko, 2016). Since much of the contemporary language takes
texts, discourse or maybe conversation as the object of the analysis, the modern research of the
context occurs in relation to the analysis of discourse structures and their mutual relationships
(Halliday, Matthiessen & Halliday, 2014). The context previous was described in relation to the
variables but of recent it is described in relation to the social identity that is being constructed
and displayed in the text by the users of the language .
The influence of the context parameters on the language utilizes or discourse is researched in
relation to the variation, style or register (Gutt, 2014). The basic assumptions are that the
language usually adapt to the properties to their language usage to the current communicative
situation. As a result, in such a sense the language utilize or discourse might be more or maybe
less appropriate in a particular context. It is thus the language terms which surrounds on the set
paragraph.
Context information plays a part in the language through correctly interpreting word or phrase
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LINGUISTICS 6
that could otherwise be interpreted in different ways. Without the context, the speakers could
seem simple by saying something is bad. When the context is utilized it clears that speaker is
only saying something is inappropriate choice for individuals who choose other things (Gutt,
2014). For that reason, it is unfair to quote somebody out of the context- that is duplicating
something another individual says without adequate information to prevent the readers or maybe
the listeners from any specific misunderstanding from the true meaning of a quote.
The context is regarded as the situation in which the language functions at. It could be physical,
social, institutional or environmental (Cook, 2016). It comprises of the events, culture or the
social conventions which could impact the use of the language. The context generally surrounds
specific words in order to determine on the appropriate meaning of that precise statement. Each
word could yield different meaning in various contexts. For example when one says something is
out of the context they basically mean that it is out of place.
Conclusion
When it come to the language teacher, it is crucial to design the activities of the language which
takes into the contemplation of the contextual dimensions of the language use. The meaning of
the communication is shaped by context that is delivered and the meaning could be completely
altered when it comes to delivering it to various context. The context is a crucial component
when it comes to the language. In this essay it has highlight on how the context has contributed
to the language through use of different examples to fully address on the issue.
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LINGUISTICS 7
References
Akmajian, A., Farmer, A. K., Bickmore, L., Demers, R. A., & Harnish, R. M. (2017).
Linguistics: An introduction to language and communication. MIT press.
Avgerou, C., & Walsham, G. (Eds.). (2017). Information Technology in Context: Studies from
the Perspective of Developing Countries: Studies from the Perspective of Developing
Countries. Routledge.
Bhatia, V. K. (2014). Analysing genre: Language use in professional settings. Routledge.
Carter, R. (2015). Language and creativity: The art of common talk. Routledge.
Cook, V. (2016). Second language learning and language teaching. Routledge.
Gutt, E. A. (2014). Translation and relevance: Cognition and context. Routledge.
Halliday, M. A. K., Matthiessen, C., & Halliday, M. (2014). An introduction to functional
grammar. Routledge.
Lefevere, A. (2016). Translation, rewriting, and the manipulation of literary fame. Taylor &
Francis.
Shrum, J. L., & Glisan, E. W. (2015). Teacher's handbook, contextualized language instruction.
Cengage Learning.
Tymoczko, M. (2016). Translation in a postcolonial context: Early Irish literature in English
translation. Routledge.
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