Chapter 1. Genre in World Englishes
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Susanne Mühleisen
Abstract
The study of text types and functional texts or genres has been a research topic in linguistics ever since the 1970s (Gülich & Raible 1977, Werlich 1975). Investigations of the specific norms and conventions as well as functions of genres were initially focused on the production of teaching materials for the acquisition and analysis of academic contexts and register (Swales 1971, 1990), but linguistic research soon also picked up everyday life texts such as death notices (Fries 1990), recipes (Görlach 1991, 2004) or letters to the editor (Kim 1996). This chapter expounds the foundations and principles of the linguistic explorations of text types and genres and the conceptual differences between the two notions. Particular emphasis will be placed on the communicative function(s) of texts (Bühler 1934/1990, Jakobson 1960/1987, Swales 1990) as well as on speech acts performed in written and spoken genres. Intertextuality, heteroglossia and dialogicity (Bakhtin 1986), move structure (Bhatia 1993) and narrative structure (Labov & Waletzky 1967) add to the theoretical background on genre analysis.
While the transformation of traditional written genres from their paper format to the digital world has received some attention (e.g. Giltrow & Stein 2009, Brock, Pflaeging & Schildhauer 2019), there has been hardly any research on genre studies in “outer circle” or postcolonial varieties of English. This chapter seeks to incorporate approaches from postcolonial linguistics, linguistic anthropology and politeness theory as well as reflect on the transition from oral to written and digital interactions in order to widen the framework of genre analysis to include World Englishes in general and, for the scope of this volume, Caribbean contexts in particular.
Abstract
The study of text types and functional texts or genres has been a research topic in linguistics ever since the 1970s (Gülich & Raible 1977, Werlich 1975). Investigations of the specific norms and conventions as well as functions of genres were initially focused on the production of teaching materials for the acquisition and analysis of academic contexts and register (Swales 1971, 1990), but linguistic research soon also picked up everyday life texts such as death notices (Fries 1990), recipes (Görlach 1991, 2004) or letters to the editor (Kim 1996). This chapter expounds the foundations and principles of the linguistic explorations of text types and genres and the conceptual differences between the two notions. Particular emphasis will be placed on the communicative function(s) of texts (Bühler 1934/1990, Jakobson 1960/1987, Swales 1990) as well as on speech acts performed in written and spoken genres. Intertextuality, heteroglossia and dialogicity (Bakhtin 1986), move structure (Bhatia 1993) and narrative structure (Labov & Waletzky 1967) add to the theoretical background on genre analysis.
While the transformation of traditional written genres from their paper format to the digital world has received some attention (e.g. Giltrow & Stein 2009, Brock, Pflaeging & Schildhauer 2019), there has been hardly any research on genre studies in “outer circle” or postcolonial varieties of English. This chapter seeks to incorporate approaches from postcolonial linguistics, linguistic anthropology and politeness theory as well as reflect on the transition from oral to written and digital interactions in order to widen the framework of genre analysis to include World Englishes in general and, for the scope of this volume, Caribbean contexts in particular.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Genre in World Englishes 1
- Chapter 2. Callaloo, stewed manicou and doubles 17
- Chapter 3. Personhood, genealogy and remembrance in death notices and obituaries 43
- Chapter 4. Metathesiophobia, nutty professors and Patois 77
- Chapter 5. Tell me Pastor 105
- Chapter 6. Mornin Caller 133
- Chapter 7. “… allyuh know how to parteeeeeeeeeeee. lawd!” 159
- Chapter 8. Picong and puns, boasting and complaining 183
- References 211
- Index 227
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Genre in World Englishes 1
- Chapter 2. Callaloo, stewed manicou and doubles 17
- Chapter 3. Personhood, genealogy and remembrance in death notices and obituaries 43
- Chapter 4. Metathesiophobia, nutty professors and Patois 77
- Chapter 5. Tell me Pastor 105
- Chapter 6. Mornin Caller 133
- Chapter 7. “… allyuh know how to parteeeeeeeeeeee. lawd!” 159
- Chapter 8. Picong and puns, boasting and complaining 183
- References 211
- Index 227
