Outline signals
Structural signals or also called discourse markers (see also discourse particles ) organize and structure communication. They are among the conversational words and are part of everyday speech . They divide a speech into individual units of meaning or discourse sections, and mark the beginning, end and paragraphs of a section. In addition, they are used within a speech as an outline (change of topic, new information) and for illustration.
In conversation analysis, the structure signal is one of the central categories. The conversation analysis applies, additional features such as a
- Information-enhancing and confirmation- seeking particles like no, no, no, wa, gell, yes and so, I mean, I think etc.
- prosodic features such as pitch and pauses in speech
Conventional stylistics mostly devalue structural signals as "patchwork words". From an analytical point of view, the hen and the roebuck note that the structural signals are means of speech that represent “joints on the body of the conversation”. Ultimately, they serve to open and close, structure the conversation step according to the speaker's instructions, reinforce the content and prepare the change of speaker.
Concept formation
The Romanistik than the area of the first spoken language explored in which the division signals are located. Gülich introduced the term structure signals itself in 1970 in the “macro syntax”. Gülich defines structural signals as numerous represented, characteristic, cross- linguistic features of the spoken language.
Classification
Structure signals are divided into three main groups, namely start signals (opening signals), interrupt signals (internal structure signals) and end signals. The particles signal the beginning and the end or the interruption of a conversation step.
Initial signals
Initial signals open main clauses or subordinate clauses and divide the speech into meaningful units or units with the same subject (“constancy of the subject”).
Using the example of opening signals , the pragmatic function of structural signals in everyday German speech can be clearly illustrated, as some introductory phrases determine typical conversation steps which can be cooperative or uncooperative.
Examples
Typical opening signals in French would be “et, mais, alors, oui / ouais, eh bien, écoute, tu sais, tu vois, mais enfin, et alors, oh, ah”.
The German opening signals include language elements such as
- Synsemantika (so, well, nu ...)
- Stereotypes and common formulas as a " soft approach " (as far as I know; whether you believe or not; if I may say something about it; have you heard ...)
- Auto-semantics , the lexical meaning of which fades in the course of a conversation and thus acquire new functions. For example, the verb “know” at the beginning of the utterance often functions as a means of introducing the speech “do you know ...”.
function
Initial signals have several functions, they serve as
- Introduction of questions
- Initiation of responses
- Signal for a change of topic or new information
- Highlighting a conversation step
- Emphasis on a high point or a turning point in the speech
- Summarizing unit and summarizing what appeared to be important to the speaker in order to signal understanding with the summary
- the change from eloquence to form of address, i.e. the change from the third to the second person. The state of the discussion changes to direct address. So there is a change of speaker.
pragmatism
As a rule, the speaker selects the signals for himself from all the language resources that serve his purposes and, if necessary, correspond to the situation. If he puts the redundant part of the utterance at the beginning of the speech, this serves to secure and assert the right to speak .
Furthermore, the opening particles used by the speaker represent stage directions to the listener. The speaker defines the current role distribution and controls the attention and expectation of the respective listener. Rathmayr tried to use Slavic opening signals to show that the speaker with the particle signals to the other person: "Now I have the word and will say something" (Rathmayr 1985: 182) The selection of certain particles signals to the other person what kind of next step in the conversation will be becomes.
Temporality
Outline signals are atemporal . This distinguishes them from their identical (time) adverbs , conjunctions with a temporal reference. Examples in French are "d'abord", "et puis alors" etc.
Typology
Individual structural signals are often not clear. Clear structural signals are called “simple signals” and consist of only one word (e.g. Frz: alors, puis, et etc.).
"Complex signals" (also "combined signals") are made up of several unique signals. There are clusters , which only signal how the speaker wants his contribution to be structured in conjunction with formulatory actions. Formulating actions would be, for example, salutation, naming of names, appeals for attention , evaluations or in French et alors, et puis alors, alors tu vois etc.
Sign language
The importance of the structural signals is evident in the area of sign language ( DGS ). Translations in the DGS only remain understandable for the viewer if the translation has a clear structure. Otherwise, sentence types will not be recognized or sequences that belong together in terms of content will no longer be understood. Missing or incorrectly used structural signals then not only lead to misunderstandings, but also to falsification of the content.
Structure signals in the DGS
- short breaks
- briefly raising the eyebrows
- Change of viewing direction
- short leading signs
- short movements in the shoulder area
- Change in facial expressions
literature
- E. Gülich: Macrosyntax of the structural signals in French , 1970
- Helmut Henne & Helmut Rehbock: Introduction to conversation analysis . 3rd edition, Verlag Walter de Gruyter, 2001; ISBN 3-1101-4857-9
- Johannes Schwitalla: Spoken German , 2003
- Rainer Rath: Conversation step and listener activities. In: Text and Conversational Linguistics: An International Handbook of Contemporary Research , Klaus Brinker , 2001.
- Renate Rathmayr: The Russian Particles as Pragmalexeme , 1985
- Angela Linke; Nussbaumer, Markus; Portmann, Paul R .: Study Book Linguistics , 1996.
- Helmut Glück (Ed.): Metzler-Lexikon Sprach , 2000
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Deborah Schiffrin: Discourse markers. Studies in interactional sociolinguistics, 5th, Cambridge (Cambridgeshire) 1986, ISBN 978-0-521-30385-9