Social Contextual Perspective Of Language

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sentence level of the language. However, descriptive linguists in the 1970’s emphasized the study of language properties and the language in use in a social context. Different from cognitive model which focuses on the mental and cognitive processes of writing, linguistic model of writing focuses on sentence level and the use of language in the process of composition. Linguistic factors such as syntax, semantic, phonological, lexical, and discourse are all involved in the writing process. In this respect, the use of simple linguistic factors and frequently used vocabulary may reduce the difficulty level of the text; however, the use of complex sentence structures and lower frequency words may increase the difficulty of the written text.
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The social contextual perspective of writing looked at writing as situated in reflective processes of social and historical contexts, as well as reflections of classroom curriculum and pedagogy. Writing practices vary across cultures and contexts, and are shaped by writers’ social communications and interactions. Writing is also perceived as a nonlinear process and is closely related to social identities. Through the social contextual lens, the understanding of writing has been shifted from viewing writing as a personal activity or technique, to a mental, cognitive process shaped by the broader social, cultural and historical contexts. Given this, writing development should be considered as an activity that is tied closely to the literacy learning in the classrooms. Writing reflects the writers’ mental process and tells what they are at the specific moment that writing occurs, and is framed by the social, political, and cultural contexts at that moment. In particular, the social contextual perception of writing suggests that writing is a non-linear process so that there is no such a thing called template while learning to write. Students always bring in their own resources, prior knowledge and repertoire of language use to construct their own pieces and are inclined to apply diverse modes received from multi-media to their writing tasks in today’s writing practices. Framed by social contextual perspective, the development of written language is largely influenced by writers’ interactions and engagement in social communications, interactions, and

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