Tellingsraten

Tellingsraten is a term used in narratology and discourse analysis to quantify the frequency with which a narrative communicates information through explicit telling as opposed to showing. It is typically described as a rate or proportion that can be applied to texts such as novels, screenplays, or oral narratives. The term is not universally standardized and appears in a limited set of studies; as such, implementation details may vary between researchers.

Measurement and calculation: Tellingsraten is usually defined as TR = N_telling / N_total_units, where N_telling is the number of statements or cues classified as telling, and N_total_units is the total count of narrative units used for analysis. Narrative units can be sentences, clauses, or narrative beats, depending on the study. Classification hinges on criteria for what constitutes telling versus showing, which can include direct exposition, narrator commentary, or explicit summaries. Context and genre influence these determinations.

Applications: Researchers use tellingsraten to compare authors, genres, or languages, and to study how telling affects reader or viewer engagement, memory, or comprehension. In education, it can inform instruction on narrative style, encouraging learners to practice showing rather than telling. Limitations include subjectivity in labeling, varying unit definitions, and cross-cultural inconsistencies.

Etymology and relations: The term combines 'telling' with a rate-based suffix common in quantitative linguistics. See also show-don’t-tell, narratology, discourse analysis.