The concept of modalization is used in the field of language to refer to the attitude adopted by the speaker with respect to his statements and his interlocutor . The term is linked to the expressiveness and subjective nature of language .
It is possible to distinguish between the content that an utterance represents (that is, what is said) and the speaker's attitude towards that content (how it is said). Modalization can occur both through resources that are made explicit in the message and through implicit resources.
Adjectives , verb moods and intonation are some of the elements that influence modalization. However, the way of modalizing varies according to the language.
It can be said that modalization is a rhetorical act . In order to be able to generate and understand the discourses of a linguistic community, it is necessary to master it.
Modalization, in short, is expressed through linguistic markers that reveal the speaker's position. Just as modalization is the action, modality is the result of this process.
The level of subjectivity of a text can be known by analyzing its modalization. This is because the speaker's presence becomes noticeable through it.
Irony is one of the modalization resources that allow the speaker's attitude to be marked. For example: “What a great result Brazil got! They managed to tie with Thailand, a very powerful team with a long football tradition…” In this case, the ironic component lies in the adjectivization, which praises Brazil 's poor result and illogically describes Thailand , taking into account the history of both teams 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:
* Evaluative modalization : it consists of a series of value judgments by the interlocutor about the message. These judgments can be issued through positive or negative expressions, that is, appreciation or contempt, making use of weighty words, non-transferable comments, literary figures or quantification, among other resources;
* epistemic modalization : it is linked to the level of certainty with which the speaker decides to present his statements. For example, he can present them as if they were unquestionable or possible, for which he will use expressions such as "There is no doubt that...", "It is clear that..." or "It is known that...", in the first case, and "It may be that...", "Maybe..." or "Perhaps...", in the second;
* Deontic modalization : occurs when communication between the sender and the receiver aims to share with the receiver the convenience or need to do something for moral or ethical reasons. To achieve this, the sender may use a recommendation, verbs used to express obligation, imperatives, modal verbal periphrases ("we would have to..." or "we should...") or expressions such as "It is best that..." or "We have the obligation to...".
In recent times, since the widespread use of instant messaging on the Internet, our way of using written language has changed dramatically, something that is gradually being reflected in speech as well. It is a medium in which we do not usually respect spelling, since we ignore capital letters, most punctuation marks and accents. In addition, we generally shorten words in ways that are not foreseen by the rules of the language, even 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 that of a letter from a couple of centuries ago.
The modalization of such a message is much more difficult to understand than the language used in a face-to-face conversation, and this leads to misunderstandings if both parties are not aware of the codes of popular usage.