Lexical variation and text: Qualitative analysis of the degree of formality in context with aquad

Abstract

In the following paper results are set forward of an investigation intended to demonstrate that there is a relation beteween lexical variants and the textual forms in which they are used. Our previous hipothesis is that certain texts, considered standards because they register a certain degree of formality, favour the selection of lexical variants in order to accomplish a communicative principie of appropriateness. Such principie can be seen as a contribution to the communicative competence of speakers. This research project has been based in a series of surveys in which individuals had to choose the appropriate variants within lexical pairs previously labeled as 'formal' or 'informal'. In order to process and interpret this data we have used the too! AQUAD, a computer program for cualitative data analysis.