Learning How to Find Out: Theories of Knowledge and Learning in Field Research
Author(s)
Bednarek, M. A.
Abstract
The subject of this paper is the hearer’s application to discourse of frames – mental knowledge structures that capture the typical features of a situation – in order to secure coherence. Having established a working definition of frame, the paper will focus on the relation between text, context, world-knowledge & coherence. Different types of frames (linguistic as well as non-linguistic) & their coherence-inducing functions are discussed with reference to authentic examples. It is shown that the hearer’s (re-)constructed coherence of texts is the result of a complex interplay of linguistic (con)text & non-linguistic (frame) knowledge. 2 Figures, 50 References.
