| Author(s) |
Characteristics of Decontextualized
Language
|
Characteristics of Contextualized
Language
|
| Cummins (1994) |
-
Meaning is primarily conveyed via linguistic
cues, such as cohesion devices, that are independent of the immediate communicative
context
-
Comprehension depends significantly on knowledge
of the language used
|
-
Contextual or interpersonal cues, such as
intonation, gestures, and facial expressions, support comprehension of
text
-
Meaning can be negotiated by participants,
such as via feedback from listeners about how the message was understood
|
| Cummins (1984) |
-
Classroom language tasks, such as manipulating
text, fall at this end of the spectrum
|
-
Typical of everyday conversations
-
Paralinguistic and situational cues are important
for comprehension
|
| De Temple, Wu, & Snow (1991) |
-
Text is grounded in time and space
-
There is little assumption of shared background
knowledge or context
-
Thematic cues are lexicalized
-
Linguistic devices, such as complex syntactical
construction and explicit sentential connectives, transfer directly to
written paragraph construction
|
-
Shared physical context is exploited
-
Shared background knowledge is utilized
-
Paralinguistic cues convey cohesion
-
Use of prosodically marked constructions that
do not have a direct written analogue
|
| Marvin (1995) |
-
Use of distant time referents
|
-
Talk about the here-and now (p. 187),
by referencing people, objects and action present in the immediate context
|
| Pellegrini (1985) |
-
Meaning is conveyed textually or by language
itself
|
-
Contextual cues and shared knowledge is used
to convey meaning
|
| Snow (1989) |
Characterized by use and control of the
following:
-
intra- and intersentential connectors (i.e.,
because, however)
-
tense sequencing
-
relative clauses
-
explication of reference
-
low frequency vocabulary, allowing for lexical,
rather than deictic reference
-
techniques for maintaining cohesion, such
as anaphora and paraphrase
-
devices for topic reinstatement
-
floor-holding (turn maintenance) devices
|
|
| Snow (1991) |
-
Language used to “convey novel information
to audiences who are at a distance from the speaker and who may share only
limited amounts of background information with the speaker” (p. 7)
-
Typical of explanations and personal narratives
|
-
Used to negotiate interpersonal relationships
-
Typical of face-to-face conversations
-
The following resources can be used to convey
meaning:
-
shared knowledge
-
gesture
-
interactive negotiation of meaning
-
listener feedback
|
| Snow, Cancino, De Temple & Schley
(1991) |
-
“Language used in ways that eschew reliance
on shared social and physical context in favor of reliance created through
the language itself” (p. 90)
-
Formal definitions, that identify a superordinate
class and add relevant information about restrictions on class membership,
including crucial information and excluding irrelevant information
|
|
| Westby (1995) |
-
Language that is “comprehensible to an unknown
audience without support from others” (p. 56)
|
|