Introduction

Relevance of the theme

Textual coherence is the guiding thread that skillfully weaves ideas into a homogeneous verbal fabric, allowing the text to present itself as a unit of meaning. Without coherence, texts fragment into isolated sentences, losing their communicative purpose and effectiveness. Therefore, this theme is fundamental for the discipline of Portuguese, as it is one of the pillars for the understanding and production of efficient and effective texts, indispensable tools in literate society. In a world full of information and instant communications, knowing how to construct and analyze coherent texts is an essential skill that transcends the classroom and permeates social, academic, and professional interactions. Thus, developing the competence to understand and improve textual coherence is essential for the full literacy of the student.

Contextualization

Coherence is situated in the broader context of the discipline as one of the central axes of linguistic pragmatics and communicative competence. Its approach is intrinsic to the Portuguese Language curriculum, presenting itself transversely from the early years of elementary school, gaining complexity and depth as the school career progresses. In the 9th grade of Elementary School, students are already familiar with the basic structure of the text and begin to refine their skills in interpretation and textual production. At this stage, the study of coherence is especially relevant because it enables a qualitative leap in language mastery, preparing students for more sophisticated challenges in High School and beyond. Furthermore, textual coherence manifests as a requirement in evaluative situations, such as national exams and college entrance exams, reinforcing the need for a deep understanding and competent application of the concept.

Theory

Examples and cases

Imagine a puzzle with pieces scattered on a table. Separately, each piece contains a portion of an image, but only when correctly joined do they reveal a complete scene. Analogously, a text is composed of various sentences and ideas that, when properly connected, reveal the full meaning desired by the author. Coherence is this logical and harmonious connection between the parts that make up the whole. To exemplify, let's think of a text discussing the benefits of a healthy diet. If suddenly a sentence about the lunar climate is introduced without any relation to the topic, the text suffers a coherence break, confusing the reader and compromising communication. Coherence does not only reside in explicit content; implication and inference also play crucial roles in constructing the meaning of a text, allowing the reader to fill in gaps and anticipate information not directly mentioned but understood through context and world knowledge.

Components

Semantic Coherence

Semantic coherence concerns the meaning of words and how they relate to form logical and understandable meanings. The chaining of ideas must follow a sequence that makes sense for the text to achieve its communicative purpose. For example, the use of anaphoras, elements that refer back to previously mentioned information, helps maintain a cohesive and coherent semantic field. Furthermore, the use of connectors appropriately establishes logical relationships between clauses and sentences, reinforcing the semantic coherence of the text. Each lexical choice - each noun, adjective, adverb - must contribute to the thematic progression, avoiding discrepancies that may confuse the reader or affect the harmony of the whole.

Pragmatic Coherence

The pragmatic dimension of coherence involves the relationship between the text and the communicative situation in which it is inserted, including the context, the sender's purpose, and the receiver's expectations. A text is pragmatically coherent when its message is appropriate to the context and manages to meet communicative objectives. Thus, an instructional text containing jokes and colloquial language may be considered pragmatically incoherent, as it contradicts the formal expectations of that textual genre. Pragmatic coherence is closely linked to the adequacy of language to the target audience, to the appropriate register (formal or informal), and to the clarity with which the author's intentions are communicated and perceived by the reader.

Global Textual Coherence

Global textual coherence refers to the ability of a text to present unity and completeness, which involves the organization of the parts that make up the whole. A coherent text must present a logical structure where the introduction outlines the theme, the development explores and deepens the presented ideas, and the conclusion offers an appropriate closure to the reflections made. Therefore, global coherence encompasses not only the sequence of ideas presented but also how these ideas are structured and interrelated to form a meaningful whole. This includes maintaining a clear discursive topic and developing an argument progressively, avoiding abrupt jumps or redundancies that may confuse or disorient the reader.

Deepening the theme

Delving into the theory of textual coherence is understanding that it is not an inherent property of the text, but an interaction between the text and the reader's knowledge. Coherence is, therefore, a phenomenon that is both textual and cognitive. It is built from the linguistic clues offered by the text, but also from the reader's repertoire of knowledge, experiences, and expectations. There is a symbiotic relationship between the text and the context, and meaning emerges from this interaction. Coherence is linked to the comprehensibility of a text and to the extent to which the reader can perceive, interpret, and relate to the ideas presented. Furthermore, coherence encompasses several subdimensions, including logic, consistency, relevance, intentionality, acceptability, informativeness, situationality, and intertextuality - each contributing to the construction of a meaningful and effective text in the communication of ideas.

Key terms

Coherence: the logical and consistent connection between ideas, sentences, and paragraphs in a text, ensuring its unity of meaning and comprehensibility. Anaphora: a linguistic device used to refer back to a term or idea previously introduced in the text, promoting cohesion and coherence. Connector: a word or expression that links components of the text (such as clauses and sentences), establishing meaningful relationships between them and aiding in the construction of coherence.

Practice

Reflection on the theme

Contemplating textual coherence is exploring the core of communicative effectiveness. It encourages us to question: To what extent does the clarity of our written expressions reflect organized thinking? How can the presence or absence of coherence in a text influence our decisions and perspectives on a subject? The practice of reflection is crucial; by observing the discourses around us - from journalistic articles to advertising campaigns - we can discern the implicit intentionality and critically evaluate the argumentative integrity presented. The ability to recognize and apply coherence strengthens intellectual autonomy and expands our capacity to interact constructively in society.

Introductory exercises

Identify the incoherence: Read the provided paragraph and point out the sentence that breaks the coherence of the text, explaining why.

Connect the ideas: Given two seemingly disconnected sentences, use connectors to form a coherent sentence that logically connects the ideas.

Rewrite to improve: Take a text with coherence problems and rewrite it, ensuring clarity and logical connection between ideas.

Inferences and Implications: From a coherent text, list the information that is not explicitly stated but is inferred from the context.

Projects and Research

Project on Coherence Analysis in Multiple Textual Genres: Conduct a comparative research of texts from different genres (news, editorial, poem, culinary recipe) to identify and analyze the application of coherence in each. Present the differences and similarities found in a report, highlighting how coherence manifests according to the conventions and expectations of each genre.

Expanding

To go beyond the concept of textual coherence, it is essential to explore rhetoric and argumentation, which are expanded in persuasion skills and the strategic use of language to achieve specific goals. Intertextuality is another rich field, as the understanding of a text often depends on the knowledge of other texts. Furthermore, discourse analysis provides tools to understand how power and ideology are constituted and transmitted through coherence in language. These areas of study provide a broader view of the role of language in social construction and in the formation of cultural and personal identities.

Conclusion

Conclusions

In this journey through the theme of textual coherence, we conclude that it is the backbone that supports the integrity and effective transmission of ideas in a text, being fundamental for its understanding. Without this logical harmony between the parts, the text dissolves into fragments of meaning, hindering communication and the sharing of knowledge. We understand that coherence is multifaceted, integrating semantic aspects, where words and phrases must align to build an intelligible narrative; pragmatic aspects, in which context and the purpose of communication govern the relevance of the text; and global aspects, which require an organizational structure that weaves the beginning, middle, and end into a meaningful tapestry. Each linguistic component, from the use of anaphoras to the application of connectors, plays a vital role in the engineering of coherence. Not least, we recognize the interactive nature of coherence, which is built in the reader's mind as much as in the writer's role, involving prior knowledge and inferences for the realization of understanding.

Reflecting on coherence also raises awareness of our own ability to think and express ourselves clearly and organized. This emphasizes the importance of this competence as a tool for critical thinking, allowing us to evaluate and structure arguments with discernment and precision. Furthermore, the practice of identifying incoherence makes us more astute readers and more skilled text producers, capable of conveying our messages effectively and credibly.

Finally, we understand that textual coherence is not only an academic goal but also an essential skill for everyday life. In a world where we are inundated with information from all directions, being able to discern coherence is crucial to navigate the sea of human communication. Therefore, it is imperative that we incorporate the practice of seeking and creating coherent texts in all aspects of our written expression, whether in a simple text message, an academic article, or a literary creation. Coherence is, at its core, the link that connects the complexity of human thought to the simplicity of its understanding.