contextn contextualadj
that which occurs before and /or after a word, a phrase or even a longer
utteranceor a text. The context often helps in understanding the par-
ticular meaning of the word, phrase, etc. For example, the word loud in
loud music is usually understood as meaning “noisy” whereas in a tie with
a loud pattern it is understood as “unpleasantly colourful”. The context
may also be the broader social situation in which a linguistic item is used. For
example, in ordinary usage, spinster refers to an older unmarried woman
but in a legal context it refers to any unmarried woman.
see also contextual meaning
context cluen
alsocontextualization clue
in comprehension, information from the immediate setting surrounding an
item in a text and which provides information that can be used to under-
stand the meaning of an item. Such clues may be lexical or grammatical. In
speech context clues include the verbal, paralinguistic and non-verbal signs
that help speakers understand the full meaning of a speaker’s utterances in
context.
context-embedded languagen
communication occurring in a context that offers help to comprehension
through such things as the situation and setting, visual clues, gestures and
actions. In such a situation the learner can make more use of top-down
processingto infer meanings. At the same time the speaker may communi-
cate less explicitly since much of the meaning is known from the context.
This can be compared with context-reduced language, in which there are
few contextual clues to support comprehension and which relies therefore
on linguistic elaboration. The distinction between context-reduced and
context-embedded language has been used in explaining the nature of
instruction in academic subjects in formal school contexts and the role of
background knowledge in communication.
context of situationn
the linguistic and situational context in which a word, utterance or text
occurs. The meaning of utterances, etc., is determined not only by the literal
meaning of the words used but by the context or situation in which they
occur.
context-reduced languagen
see context-embedded language
context-reduced language