SPECIFICS OF DISCOURSE SITUATION MODELS (analysis of the research of T. A. van Dijk)

Abstract

This paper deals with discourse situation models that are the mental models of episodic memory and the mechanisms of the activation of intertextual and interdiscursive inclusions. The situation model is constructed on the basis of the situation schema that contains a limited number of terminal categories. The situation model is created on the basis of the text and the knowledge of the person rather than on propositions of the textbase. The personality-based knowledge accumulates personal experience, sets, feelings and emotions as well as information that is not available in the text. Discourse understanding is carried out by means of the cognitive representation of text-based situations, actions and people. If events, actions and people are well presented in situation models, the understanding of the text is effective. In the course of nontextual analysis the person makes inferences on the basis of situation models. Discourse processing is performed on a conceptual level rather than a linguistic one. Situation models are the basis for frames and scripts, which represent abstract knowledge. The context model is a link between the situation model and textbase.