Текст в контексте: принципы и направления исследования языковых и речевых феноменов в социальных и профессиональных практиках

Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Язык и литература. 2024. Т. 21. № 4. С. 901–918.

Molodychenko E. N.

This article explores the relationship between discourse and its context, as discussed across various research traditions. It focuses on the complexity and dynamic nature of this relationship, emphasizing the importance of context not only in discourse production but also, and more significantly, in its perception and interpretation by real communicators. One key method of operationalizing context in linguistic and speech phenomena studies involves viewing discourse as a component within practices, where it can serve as a means of enacting the practice or reflecting on the practice itself or a different practice entirely. The paper discusses and compares a variety of theoretical and analytical traditions that examine the actual use of language and speech by communicators, including critical discourse analysis, genre studies, linguistic anthropology, and media studies. This review distinguishes between at least two types of practices — general “social practices” and more specific professional practices — as well as between two types of contexts: the situational and the cultural, noting that some practices may straddle both contexts. Moreover, the review highlights the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to studying linguistic and speech phenomena in context. A conclusion drawn from the review is that context is not, as it were, merely a passive “backdrop” for discourse but actively shapes its meaning and its effect. This concept is traditionally explored in relation to the notion of contextualization. The conclusion calls for further interdisciplinary research to deepen understanding of the complex processes associated with discourse and its contextual embeddedness.

Keywords: дискурс, discourse