La structuration du texte dans l’interprétation : du mode linéaire au mode tabulaire (l’exemple des échanges sur les forums Internet)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to consider some theoretical aspects regarding the issue of two modes of interpretation, linear and tabular (with emphasis on the latter), as these are illustrated in Internet discussion forums. As the structure of an online discussion is fundamentally different from that of typical written texts or live oral discussions, what we are dealing with here is a hybrid form of discourse (i.e. spoken language in written form), which has an certain impact on its interpretation. The use of various strategies of text structuring (cyclic repetition of the same quotes, external links, non-chronological references to previous entries) favours, or even forces, an interpretation in tabular mode, which, depending on the circumstances, may have a selective or a globalizing character.

Keywords

• interpretation
• text
• structure
• linear mode
• tabular mode
• verbal interaction
• Internet forum discussions