What makes a text a text? Criteria for text functionality (eBook)

Essay from the year 2019 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: 1,7, AKAD University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, language: English, abstract: A text is more than the bare listing of words in a row or the adding of various sentences randomly to each other. The knowledge of what components are included in a text and in which way these components interact with each other is the key in truly understanding a text, as well as it is essential for being able to fully receive its message.

For many jobs – especially for language related jobs, for example interpreters and translators –the task to develope and enhance textual skills is undeniable crucial for employees.To have the knowledge of text competence includes the cognitive ability to analyze unknown text in order to receive ist useful information and to be able to create a text by oneself.

Therefore, the main question to answer is: “What makes a text a text?“ Even if this might look at first sight very simple to answer, this topic is far more complex than originally expected. In fact, since the 1960s there has been a linguistic science field named “text linguistic“ which deals with this question in greater detail.