1. What is Context?
1.1. Types of context
Linguistic Context
This refers to the set of words in the same sentence or utterance. This forms the linguistic environment that determines the sense of the words in the context. Sometimes it is called co-text and identified as the set of words that surround the language unit in question in the same phrase, or sentence.
Physical Context
It includes what physically present around the speakers/hearers at the time of communication. What objects are present, where the communication is taking place (the environmental conditions-outdoor- as temperature, lighting, an noise level, the distance between communicators, the seating arrangements), as well as the timing, what is going on around, the situation in which it is used (Is this a special occasion such as holiday celebration or anniversary of an event at the site?), and what actions are occurring, all of which assist in making communication successful. Other features of the context include Participants, the Ongoing activity, The place, and the time.
Historical Context
The historical context is the background knowledge which is already discussed and talked about by the participants in previous communication occasions (Verderber, R. F., Verderber, K. S., & Berryman-Fink, 2008). This previous shared knowledge affects the current communication incidents (West & Turner, 2009).
Social Context
It refers to the social relationship among the participants in communication (speakers/ hearers) such as kinships, friendship, work relationships, social contracts, and acquaintances (Randal & Wayne, 2013). It influences how you interpret things, how you speak, what you speak about, or how you act.
Cultural Context
It is the influence of the values, attitudes, beliefs, orientations, and underlying assumptions which are widespread in societies on one’s behavior. Culture is included in all aspects of life. It has an effect on how people think, how people converse, and how people act. This is the reason why misunderstandings may occur in intercultural communication where the communicators are from different cultural backgrounds.
Psychological Context
The psychological context is represented in the moods and feelings that influence people in communication and may affect the interpersonal relationship. It is the psychological situation in which a person is during a conversation. For instance, if a teacher starts a class directly after students have done an exam, no one will listen to him/ her because the psychology of the students before the exam is not the same as after the exam (Annan-Prah, 2015).