Abstract
This paper presents a computer-based frequency distribution analysis to decode the pragma-stylistic meanings in one of the narrative discourse represented by Orwell’s dystopian novel Animal Farm. The main objective of the paper is to explore the extent to which computer software contribute to the linguistic analysis of texts. The paper uses the variable of frequency distribution analysis (FDA) generated by concordance software to decode the pragmatic and stylistic significance beyond the mere linguistic expressions employed by the writer in the selected data. Some words were selected to undergo a frequency distribution analysis so as to highlight their pragmatic and linguistic weight which, in turn, helps arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the thematic message intended by the writer. The paper is grounded on one analytical strand: Frequency distribution analysis conducted by concordance. Results reveal that applying a frequency distribution analysis to the linguistic analysis of large data fictional texts serves to (i) identify the various types of discourse in these texts; (ii) create a thematic categorization that is based on the frequency distribution analysis of specific words in texts; and (iii) indicate that not only high frequency words are indicative in the production of particular pragmatic and stylistic meanings in discourse, but also low frequency words are highly indicative in this regard. These results accentuate a further general finding that computer software contribute significantly to the linguistic analysis of texts, particularly those pertaining to literature. The paper recommends further and intensive incorporation of computer and CALL (computer-assisted language learning) software in teaching and learning literary texts in EFL (English as a foreign language) settings.
Highlights
For a long time, the use of computer-aided text analysis software has proven useful and contributive to the linguistic investigation of texts, literary texts [1]
The reason why computer-aided text analysis (CATA) tools are positively constructive in the analysis of literary genres lies in the fact that this type of texts always abound in large amount of data, i.e. a huge and vast number of lexis that it would be difficult to be analyzed without the help of computer [2], [3]
This paper, attempts to explore the pragma-stylistic meanings pertaining to George Orwell‟s Animal Farm, by using a frequency distribution analysis (FDA), which is considered one of the variables of Computer-Aided Text Analysis (CATA), to generate the occurrences of particular selected words, which, in turn, helps decode the various pragmatic and stylistic meanings pertaining to the text under investigation
Summary
The use of computer-aided text analysis software has proven useful and contributive to the linguistic investigation of texts, literary texts [1]. This paper, attempts to explore the pragma-stylistic meanings pertaining to George Orwell‟s Animal Farm, by using a frequency distribution analysis (FDA), which is considered one of the variables of CATA, to generate the occurrences of particular selected words, which, in turn, helps decode the various pragmatic and stylistic meanings pertaining to the text under investigation. Some particular words are selected from the novel under investigation to undergo a frequency distribution analysis, by generating the total occurrences they have in the text, and the extent to which their frequency influences the general message of the text, the pragmatic meanings beyond the semantic proposition of the linguistic expressions, and the stylistic features adopted by the writer and textually reflected in the selected text
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