Discourse Analysis - Interpretation Program

Discourse Analysis Interpretation Program 24-25 Dr. Amira Ismail Course objectives To know the historical background and the main concepts of Discourse Analysis To describe the features of spoken language within its context To describe the featur...

Discourse Analysis Interpretation Program 24-25 Dr. Amira Ismail Course objectives To know the historical background and the main concepts of Discourse Analysis To describe the features of spoken language within its context To describe the features of written language within its context To compare the differences between speech and writing To analyse the texts using different linguistic tools  Course Contents:  Definitions: What is discourse? What is discourse analysis?  Approaches of discourse analysis such as conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, multimodal discourse analysis, Genre analysis, etc.).  Historical development of discourse analysis.  Scope of discourse analysis (knowledge areas that can benefit from discourse analysis)  Course Contents:  Discourse mode (spoken vs. Written)  Functions of spoken vs. Written discourse  Formal Features of Spoken vs. Written Discourse  Linguistic Characteristics of Spoken Vs. Written Discourse  Factors Affecting Discourse Production and Interpretation ( i.e., linguistic and cultural Contexts, discourse Purpose and Domain/Genre)  Course Contents:  Samples of Discourse Analysis Models (Birmingham Classroom Model, The Clause Relational Approach, the Problem-Solution Pattern, Oral narratives)  Conversation analysis  Early Attempts and contributions: Speech act theory  Linguistic features of conversations  Structural Features of Conversations Course Contents:  The Organization of a Text  General principles for text organization: Theme and Rheme Paragraph structure  Paragraph organization: Four typical ways Deductive vs. Inductive structures Visual informativeness in a text Course Contents:  Language and ideology  Generic structure  Examples of generic structures  Labov’s narrative model  The generic structure of news reports Chapter One: What is discourse analysis?  WHAT IS DISCOURSE?  DISCOURSE is a “verbal interchange of ideas”  DISCOURSE is any piece of spoken or written language that conveys a message to a receiver.  DISCOURSE is a broad term that encompasses all forms of communication, including spoken and written language, as well as visual communication and other forms of nonverbal communication. WHAT IS DISCOURSE? Any spoken or written text that conveys a meaning is a piece of discourse. Examples: a note, a conversation, a speech, a lecture, a report, a poem, a news story, a news broadcast, an editorial, a book, etc. Also, drawings, photos, or signs that convey ideas/messages can be considered instances of nonverbal discourses.  WHAT IS DISCOURSE? Discourse defined in terms of its length: “a linguistic unit larger than a sentence” (Meriam Webster). - However, road signs, which usually consist of one or a few words, still meet the definition of conveying an idea/message to a receiver. - Can you think of other examples that convey a message through one or few words?  “ladies”, “men”, “staff only”, “cashier”, and “exit” in giving instructions or directions inside a building. WHAT IS DISCOURSE?  Another significant definition of THE WORD DISCOURSE is related to its context of use. This makes it more like a genre, such as political discourse or media discourse. Also, discourse can be related to a subject or a topic such as environmental discourse or economic discourse. (Baker & Ellece, 2011, pp. 30-31)  WHAT IS DISCOURSE linguistically?  Linguists prefer to define discourse in terms of its communicative nature or social role.  Fairclough (2001): "Discourse refers to the interconnected system of language, knowledge, and power that shapes and controls the way we think, speak, and act in society" (p. 3).  Van Dijk (1997) defines discourse as "a social practice that constitutes and is constituted by social interaction, through which people produce and reproduce the social world they live in" (p. 1).  Wodak and Meyer (2009) state that "Discourse encompasses not only language use but also the social practices, beliefs, and ideologies that are embedded within it" (p. 1). WHAT IS DISCOURSE?  To sum up, Discourse is not simply a matter of individual words or sentences. It rather refers to the larger patterns and structures of language use in a particular context. It includes the ways in which language is used to construct meaning, convey information, and accomplish social actions, such as giving information, persuasion, warning, negotiation, and socialization. It is worth noting that in this sense, many linguists use the term “text” interchangeably with the term “discourse”. Activity 1:  Find at least 10 examples of discourse other than those mentioned above. 1.What is discourse Analysis?  In simple terms, DISCOURSE ANALYSIS can be defined as a linguistic analysis of a piece of discourse. 1.What is discourse Analysis? McCarthy (1991) states that “discourse analysis has grown into a wide- ranging and heterogeneous discipline which finds its unity in the description of language above the sentence and an interest in the contexts and cultural influences which affect language in use.” (p. 7). Approaches of discourse analysis  Conversation Analysis is a major approach in discourse analysis that is concerned with the study of naturally occurring talk. It focuses on the structure and organization of conversation, and how participants in a conversation use language to accomplish social actions. Approaches of discourse analysis Critical Discourse Analysis is a wide major approach in discourse analysis that is concerned with the ways in which language is used to construct and maintain power relations, social identities, and social inequality and to challenge and resist dominant power relations and ideologies.. It focuses on the ways in which language use reflects and reinforces existing social norms and values, especially those related to gender, ethnicity, and social class, and how they are reflected in communication patterns. Approaches of discourse Multimodal analysis Discourse Analysis is concerned with the study of communication that involves more than just language, such as visual communication, gestures, and other forms of nonverbal communication. It focuses on how different modes of communication work together to construct meaning. Approaches of discourse analysis Genre Analysis is an area of discourse studies that is concerned with the study of different types of discourse, such as news articles, academic papers, or legal documents. It focuses on the conventions and structures that are characteristic of different genres, and how these conventions are used to construct meaning. Approaches of discourse analysis Corpus Linguistics is concerned with the study of language use in large collections of texts, known as corpora. It focuses on the patterns and regularities that can be identified in language use across different types of texts and contexts. What distinguishes corpus linguistics is that it uses computer-assisted programs to analyze large corpora to reach generalizations about language use in different types of texts and contexts. Approaches of discourse analysis Sociolinguistics is a discipline that emerged from discourse analysis that is concerned with the relationship between language and society. It focuses on how social factors such as gender, ethnicity, and social class influence language use, and how language use in turn reflects and reinforces social norms and values. Approaches of discourse analysis Pragmatics is another discipline that also emerged from discourse analysis studies. It is concerned with the study of language use in context. It focuses on how meaning is constructed through language, and how context, intention, and social factors influence the interpretation of meaning. Historical Overview  Discourse analysis grew out of work in different disciplines in the 1960s and early 1970s, including linguistics, semiotics, psychology, anthropology and sociology.  The first contribution to discourse analysis goes back to the work of Harris (1952) who was interested in the distribution of linguistic elements-in extended texts, and the links between the text and its social situation Historical Overview  In the 1960s, Dell Hymes provided a sociological perspective with the study of speech in its social setting.  Austin(1962), Searle (1969) and Grice (1975) were also influential in the study of language as social action. Their work was reflected in speech- act theory and the formulation of conversational maxims, alongside the emergence of pragmatics, which is the study of meaning in context. Historical Overview  M. A. K. Halliday‘s functional approach to language which emphasises the social functions of language and the thematic and informational structure of speech and writing has greatly affected British discourse analysis.  Sinclair and Coulthard (1975) developed a model for the description of teacher-pupil talk, based on a hierarchy of discourse units. (similarly, research was conducted on doctor-patient interaction, service encounters, interviews, debates and business negotiations, as well as monologues.  Historical Overview  American discourse analysis has been dominated by work within the ethnomethodological tradition, which emphasises the research method of close observation of groups of people communicating in natural settings. It examines types of speech events such as storytelling, greeting rituals and verbal duels in different cultural and social settings.  The work of Goffman (1976; 1979), and Sacks, Schegloff and Jefferson (1974) is important in the study of conversational norms, turn taking, and other aspects of spoken interaction.  Labov's investigations of oral storytelling have also contributed to a long history of interest in narrative discourse. Historical Overview  Text grammarians, such as Van Dijk (1972), De Beaugrande (1980), Halliday and Hasan (1976) see texts as language elements strung together in relationships with one another. They have been very influential on discourse analysis in revealing the links between grammar and discourse (cohesion).  Scope of Discourse Analysis The scope of discourse analysis is broad and interdisciplinary, encompassing a wide range of different fields and domains. Some of the key areas of inquiry within discourse analysis include: Scope of Discourse Analysis  Language and communication Discourse analysis is concerned with the study of language and communication in all its forms, including spoken and written language, visual communication, and nonverbal communication. Scope of Discourse Analysis  Culture and Society Discourse analysis is interested in understanding the ways in which language use reflects and shapes social and cultural norms and values, and how language is used to construct and maintain social identities and power relations Scope of Discourse Analysis  Politics and power  Discourse analysis is concerned with the ways in which language is used to legitimize or challenge existing power relations, promote particular ideologies or worldviews, and mobilize support for or against particular policies or political actors. Scope of Discourse Analysis  Media and technology:  Discourse analysis is interested in understanding the ways in which language is used in the production and distribution of news and other forms of media content, and how media discourse reflects and shapes social, political, and cultural norms and values. Scope of Discourse Analysis  Education and pedagogy:  Discourse analysis is concerned with the ways in which language is used in educational settings, and how language use shapes the construction of knowledge and the development of learning processes. Discourse studies in the educational field has particularly served research in language acquisition. Scope of Discourse Analysis  Psychology and cognition: Discourse analysis is also interested in understanding the ways in which language use reflects and shapes cognitive processes, such as memory, attention, and perception. Discourse analysts may study how language is used to influence attitudes and beliefs, or how language use varies depending on individual differences in personality or cognitive style. Scope of Discourse Analysis  Health and medicine: Discourse analysis can provide insights into how language use shapes health behaviours and perceptions, and how communication practices in healthcare settings can impact patient outcomes. For example, discourse analysts may examine the ways in which doctors and patients communicate about medical conditions, or how public health campaigns use language to promote health behaviours. Scope of Discourse Analysis Law and justice: Discourse analysis can be used to understand how language is used in legal settings, such as courtrooms and law enforcement contexts, and how language use can impact outcomes in legal proceedings. For example, discourse analysts may examine the ways in which lawyers and judges use language to persuade juries, or how police officers use language to elicit confessions from suspects. Scope of Discourse Analysis  Business and economics: Discourse analysis can be used to understand the ways in which language use reflects and shapes economic and business practices. For example, discourse analysts may study how language use in advertising and marketing shapes consumer behaviour, or how language use in corporate communications reflects and reinforces organizational culture. Scope of Discourse Analysis  International relations: Discourse analysis can be used to understand the ways in which language use shapes international relations and diplomacy. For example, discourse analysts may examine the ways in which political leaders use language to communicate with other nations, or how language use in international media can impact public perceptions of other countries and cultures. CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffmuc F4mvPX5avqBqjhJg1szhjqjM-czlNsGeaITM_y5YR0w /viewform?usp=sf_link Thank you