Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence

Li Chuntao; Han Caiying

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16

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Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence

Li Chuntao, Han Caiying

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 7, Issue 1)

Received: 4 November 2018 Accepted: 28 January 2019 Published: 22 February 2019

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Abstract

The present paper aims to reveal what the basic condition for textual coherence is. The research method is mainly comparison and theoretical argumentation. In the first part of the paper three major theories are compared and the contributions and limitations of each are pointed out. The current situation is that the research on textual theory still lays its emphasis on the aspect of linguistic forms; the interpretations for textual coherence in the aspect of language meaning and the recognition of the essence and the condition of textual coherence are not yet deep nor comprehensive enough. Then in part two the authors reveal the different knowledge or enlightenments by the three theories about what textual coherence is, and argue that semantic relevance is the essence of textual coherence. In fact the production and understanding of language cannot be free from context. Context constrains the generation of coherent texts and the cognition of the coherence of the text. So part three of the paper elaborates the constraining effect of various contexts on the relevance of the meaning of the various linguistic items within the text. In the end the paper draws the conclusion that contextual relevance is the basic condition for textual coherence, that is to say, only relevant contexts can bring a smooth, logically coherent text.

Published in	International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 7, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16
Page(s)	42-49
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Text, Coherence, Semantic Relevance, Contextual Relevance, Basic Condition

References

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[2]	Delu Zhang, A Survey of Studies on Text Coherence [J]. Foreign Languages, 1999(6), pp. 24-31.
[3]	Grice, H. P., Logic and Conversation [A], 1975. In P. Cole and J. Morgan, eds. Syntax and Semantics 3: Speech Acts New York: Academic Press, 1975, 1981.
[4]	Qiang Zhang, The Reflection of Markedness in Prototype Category Theory on Semantic Level and Its Implications for Second Language Acquisition [J]. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2014(2), p. 95.
[5]	Halliday, M. &Hasan, R., Cohesion in English [M]. London: Longman, 1976, p. 2.
[6]	Sperb, D. & Wilson, D., Relevance: Communication and Cognition [M]. Oxford, Blackwell, 1995.
[7]	Gongli Lu, The Ultimate Reference of Context and the Evolution and Reformulation of the Theory of Implicature [J]. Foreign Languages, 1996(4), pp. 10-17.
[8]	MuqingXiong andXiamin Liu,A Critical View of Coherence Theories from Conditions of Coherence [J]. Foreign Languages, 1999(3), pp. 22-28.
[9]	Widhiya Ninsiana, Grammatical Cohesion Devices on the Indonesian Translation of English Bidding Document [J]. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2014(6), p. 362.
[10]	Richards, Jack et al, Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics [M]. London: Longman, 1985, p. 45.
[11]	Qilong Cheng, Text Coherence in Information Flow [J]. Foreign Languages, 1998(1), p. 6.
[12]	Jicheng Lin, On the Conditions of Textual Coherence [J]. Modern Foreign Languages, 1988(4), p. 9.
[13]	Yue’e Li and Caiying Han, A Brief Discussion on Context Constraints on the Semantic Relevance of Situational Conversation Discourse [J]. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 2002(5), pp. 12-16.
[14]	Guichun Guo, On Context [J]. Philosophical Researches, 1997(4), p. 48.
[15]	Jiansheng YAN, Information Construction of News Discourse under the Perspective of Intertextuality [J]. Studies in Literature and Language, 2017(1), pp. 18-21.
[16]	Caiying Han, On the Nature of Context [J]. Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2004(5), p. 47.
[17]	Datondji Cocou André, A Study of Context and Figurative Language in Buchi Emecheta’s “The Rape of Shavi”: A Pragmatic Approach [J]. Communication and Linguistics Studies, 2017(1), p. 5.

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Li Chuntao, Han Caiying. (2019). Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 7(1), 42-49. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16

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ACS Style

Li Chuntao; Han Caiying. Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2019, 7(1), 42-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16

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AMA Style

Li Chuntao, Han Caiying. Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence. Int J Lang Linguist. 2019;7(1):42-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16,
  author = {Li Chuntao and Han Caiying},
  title = {Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {7},
  number = {1},
  pages = {42-49},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20190701.16},
  abstract = {The present paper aims to reveal what the basic condition for textual coherence is. The research method is mainly comparison and theoretical argumentation. In the first part of the paper three major theories are compared and the contributions and limitations of each are pointed out. The current situation is that the research on textual theory still lays its emphasis on the aspect of linguistic forms; the interpretations for textual coherence in the aspect of language meaning and the recognition of the essence and the condition of textual coherence are not yet deep nor comprehensive enough. Then in part two the authors reveal the different knowledge or enlightenments by the three theories about what textual coherence is, and argue that semantic relevance is the essence of textual coherence. In fact the production and understanding of language cannot be free from context. Context constrains the generation of coherent texts and the cognition of the coherence of the text. So part three of the paper elaborates the constraining effect of various contexts on the relevance of the meaning of the various linguistic items within the text. In the end the paper draws the conclusion that contextual relevance is the basic condition for textual coherence, that is to say, only relevant contexts can bring a smooth, logically coherent text.},
 year = {2019}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence
AU  - Li Chuntao
AU  - Han Caiying
Y1  - 2019/02/22
PY  - 2019
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 42
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PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16
AB  - The present paper aims to reveal what the basic condition for textual coherence is. The research method is mainly comparison and theoretical argumentation. In the first part of the paper three major theories are compared and the contributions and limitations of each are pointed out. The current situation is that the research on textual theory still lays its emphasis on the aspect of linguistic forms; the interpretations for textual coherence in the aspect of language meaning and the recognition of the essence and the condition of textual coherence are not yet deep nor comprehensive enough. Then in part two the authors reveal the different knowledge or enlightenments by the three theories about what textual coherence is, and argue that semantic relevance is the essence of textual coherence. In fact the production and understanding of language cannot be free from context. Context constrains the generation of coherent texts and the cognition of the coherence of the text. So part three of the paper elaborates the constraining effect of various contexts on the relevance of the meaning of the various linguistic items within the text. In the end the paper draws the conclusion that contextual relevance is the basic condition for textual coherence, that is to say, only relevant contexts can bring a smooth, logically coherent text.
VL  - 7
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Li Chuntao

School of Foreign Languages, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
Han Caiying

School of Foreign Languages, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China

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Li Chuntao, Han Caiying. (2019). Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 7(1), 42-49. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16

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ACS Style

Li Chuntao; Han Caiying. Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2019, 7(1), 42-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16

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AMA Style

Li Chuntao, Han Caiying. Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence. Int J Lang Linguist. 2019;7(1):42-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16,
  author = {Li Chuntao and Han Caiying},
  title = {Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {7},
  number = {1},
  pages = {42-49},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20190701.16},
  abstract = {The present paper aims to reveal what the basic condition for textual coherence is. The research method is mainly comparison and theoretical argumentation. In the first part of the paper three major theories are compared and the contributions and limitations of each are pointed out. The current situation is that the research on textual theory still lays its emphasis on the aspect of linguistic forms; the interpretations for textual coherence in the aspect of language meaning and the recognition of the essence and the condition of textual coherence are not yet deep nor comprehensive enough. Then in part two the authors reveal the different knowledge or enlightenments by the three theories about what textual coherence is, and argue that semantic relevance is the essence of textual coherence. In fact the production and understanding of language cannot be free from context. Context constrains the generation of coherent texts and the cognition of the coherence of the text. So part three of the paper elaborates the constraining effect of various contexts on the relevance of the meaning of the various linguistic items within the text. In the end the paper draws the conclusion that contextual relevance is the basic condition for textual coherence, that is to say, only relevant contexts can bring a smooth, logically coherent text.},
 year = {2019}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Contextual Relevance: The Basic Condition for Textual Coherence
AU  - Li Chuntao
AU  - Han Caiying
Y1  - 2019/02/22
PY  - 2019
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 42
EP  - 49
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20190701.16
AB  - The present paper aims to reveal what the basic condition for textual coherence is. The research method is mainly comparison and theoretical argumentation. In the first part of the paper three major theories are compared and the contributions and limitations of each are pointed out. The current situation is that the research on textual theory still lays its emphasis on the aspect of linguistic forms; the interpretations for textual coherence in the aspect of language meaning and the recognition of the essence and the condition of textual coherence are not yet deep nor comprehensive enough. Then in part two the authors reveal the different knowledge or enlightenments by the three theories about what textual coherence is, and argue that semantic relevance is the essence of textual coherence. In fact the production and understanding of language cannot be free from context. Context constrains the generation of coherent texts and the cognition of the coherence of the text. So part three of the paper elaborates the constraining effect of various contexts on the relevance of the meaning of the various linguistic items within the text. In the end the paper draws the conclusion that contextual relevance is the basic condition for textual coherence, that is to say, only relevant contexts can bring a smooth, logically coherent text.
VL  - 7
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download