What is modalization?

What Does modalization Mean

The concept of modalization is used in the field of language to refer to the attitude that the speaker adopts with respect to his statements and his interlocutor . The term is linked to the expressiveness and subjective character of language .

It is possible to differentiate between the content that a statement represents (that is, what is said) and the attitude of the speaker in relation to that content (how it is said). The modalization can occur both through resources that are explicit in the message and through implicit resources.
The adjectives , the verbal modes and intonation are some of the elements that influence the modalization. However, the way of modalizing varies according to the language.

It can be said that modalization is a rhetorical act . To be in a position to generate and understand the discourses of a linguistic community, it is necessary to master it.
The modalization, in short, is manifested through linguistic marks that reveal the position of the speaker. Just as modalization is action, modality is the result of said process.
The level of subjectivity of a text can be known by analyzing its modalization. This is because the presence of the speaker becomes noticeable for her.
The irony is one of the resources of the modalization that allows to mark the attitude of the emitter of the speech. For example: “What a great result Brazil obtained! He managed to tie with Thailand, a very powerful team with a long football tradition… ” . In this case, the ironic component lies in the adjectival, which praises a poor result from Brazil and qualifies Thailand in an illogical way , taking into account the history of both selected in the world of football.
This degree of subjectivity that we call modalization can be presented in three well-defined types, which are defined below:
* Valuation modalization : it consists of a series of value judgments by the interlocutor about the message. Said judgments can be issued by means of positive or negative expressions, that is, of appreciation or contempt, making use of ponderative words, non-transferable comments, literary figures or quantification, among other resources;

* epistemic modalization : it is linked to the level of certainty with which the issuer decides to present their statements. For example, it can present them as if they were unquestionable or possible, for which it will use expressions such as "There is no doubt that ...", "It is clear that ..." or "It is known that ...", in the first case, and "Maybe ...", "Maybe ..." or "Maybe ..." in the second;
* Deontic modalization : takes place when the communication between the sender and the receiver aims to share with him the convenience or need to do something for moral or ethical reasons . To achieve this, you can make use of a recommendation, the verbs that serve to express obligation, the imperatives, the modal verbal periphrasis ("we would have to ..." or "we should ...") or expressions such as "The best thing is that … ”Or“ We have an obligation to… ”.
In recent times, since the massification of instant messaging over the Internet, our way of using written language has drastically changed, something that is gradually being reflected in speech as well. This is a medium in which we often do not respect spelling, as we ignore capital letters, most punctuation marks, and accents. In addition, we often shorten words in ways that are not envisaged by the rules of the language, including combining numbers and letters to write them. If we add to this the use of emoticons, it goes without saying that the result is very different from a letter from a couple of centuries ago.
The modalization of a message of this type is much more difficult to understand than that of the language used in an in-person conversation, and this leads to misunderstandings if both parties are not aware of the codes of popular use.