Context and co-text

CARLOS PINALES

CONTEXT

CO-TEXT

• Context encompasses a broader range of factors, including situational, social, psychological, and pragmatic elements, that influence the interpretation of language.
• It goes beyond the immediate text and considers the extralinguistic factors that affect the meaning of a particular utterance or text.

• It refers to the immediate linguistic context surrounding a particular word or phrase within a text.
• It includes the words and phrases that appear nearby in the same sentence or paragraph and helps to determine the specific meaning or interpretation of the target word or phrase.

CONTEXT ANDCO-TEXT

EXAMPLE:

EXAMPLE

• In the sentence, "She wore a heavy coat because it was so cold outside," the co-text of the word "coat" includes the words "wore," "a heavy," and "because it was so cold outside." These words provide necessary information for understanding the meaning of "coat."

• When someone says, "I'm exhausted," the interpretation of this statement can vary based on different contexts.

- Situational: marathon.- Social context: work or family life. - Psychological: state of health. - Pragmatic: to seek empathy or explain their behavior.

REFERENCE:

WIDDOWSON, H. (2004). Text, Context, Pretext. Critical Issues in Discourse Analysis. Blackwell Publishing. (páginas 58 - 73).