Discourse Analysis: investigating language functions
along with its forms, produced both
What is Discourse?
 Language in use, which is used to
communicate and is, felt to be
coherent.
Types of Discourse:
 A continuous stretch of language
larger than a sentence, often
constituting a coherent unit, such
as sermon, argument, joke or
narrative.’ (Crystal:1992)
 Cook (1989) defines discourse as
stretches of language perceived to
be meaningful, unified and
purposive.
Origin of Discourse:
∞ Discourse analysis is primarily (a)
linguistic study examining the use
of language by its native
population whose major concern is
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orally and in writing.
∞ It is the identification of linguistic
qualities of various genres; vital for
their recognition and
interpretation, together with
cultural and social aspects which
support its comprehension, is the
domain of discourse analysis.
∞ It is the branch of linguistics
dealing with the examination of
discourse attempts to find patterns
in communicative products as well
as their correlation with the
circumstances in which they occur,
which are not explainable at the
grammatical level. (Carter
1993:23)
Φ Compound – contains sections
belonging to two or more kinds of
discourse.
Φ Expository – explains or describes a
topic.
Φ Hortatory – an attempt to persuade
the addressee to fulfill commands
that are given in the discourse. It
typically consists of (1) one or
more commands that are logically
related to each other and (2)
expressions offering motivation in
support of the respective
commands.
Φ Narrative – an account of events,
usually in the past, that employs
verbs of speech, motion and action
 to describe a series of events that
are contingent (to) one another.
Φ Procedural – used to tell the
addressee how to do something
presents a series of steps leading
to a goal and centers on events
that are contingent (to) one
another.
Φ Repartee – used to recount a series
of speech exchanges.
Why discourse analysis?
It is a way of understanding
social interactions. According to M.
Stubbs, it is language use beyond the
boundaries of a sentence. It is
interrelationships between language
and society and, interactive or
dialogic properties or everyday
communication. Discourse analysis
foregrounds language use as a social
action, language use as a situated
performance, language use as tied to
social relations and identities, power,
inequality and social struggle,
language use as essentially a matter
of “practices” rather that “structures”.
They focus on the following: The
participants, what their relationships,
their goals and what writers and
speakers mean (interpretation).
Approaches To Analyze Discourse:
a) Discourse Psychology
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- It is a form of discourse
analysis that focuses on
psychological themes. It was
developed in the 1990’s by
Jonathan Potter and Derek
Edwards at Loughborough
University. It also focuses on
talk as action (Edward 1997),
rather than a reflection of
action.
- Discourse psychology is
concerned with that memory
does in interaction – how a
version of the past is
constructed in order to
sustain an action.
b) Critical Linguistic and Critical
Discourse Analysis
- Within Critical Linguistics and
Critical Discourse Analysis
(CDA), the central concern is
with the social conditions,
rather that discursive action.
(Roger Fowler, 1991:5), in a
discussion of the “different
goals and procedures” of
different branches of
linguistics, describes Critical
Linguistics as an ‘enquiry into
the relations between signs,
meanings and the social and
historical conditions which
govern the semiotic structure
of discourse.’
- CDA is concerned with
‘understanding the nature of
power and dominance’ and
how ‘discourse contributes to
their production’ (van Dijk
2001: 301-302).
- For both approaches, textual
context is crucial. Suitable
 data for analysis, examining
how language legitimates
social control, include • An approach to study of
documents, textbooks, media natural conversation
texts and broadcasts. especially with a view to
determining the participants
c) Conversation Analysis method on:
- It broadly examines the o Turn-taking
methods people use to make
sense of their everyday social o Constructing
world. It explains ‘the sequences of utterance
minutiae of naturally across turns
occurring conversations
represented in verbatim o Identifying and
transcript’ (Potter & repairing problems
Wetherell 1987:81), looking and,
at accounts in context, and in o Employing gaze and
terms of sequential movement (how
organization, in order to conversation works in
identify systematic properties different conversational
in talk. setting)
d) Sociolinguistics

- A method which tends to be Basic Structure:

disconnected from ordinary
talk and social context (de a. Turn-taking organization –
Beaugrande 1996). Within set of practices by which a
linguistics different strands of conversation is done in
the discipline have different and through turns.
aims and different Turn0taking is one of the
procedures. Traditional fundamental organizations
approaches treat language of conversation.
as a set of precise rules Accordingly, the turn-
which must be followed in taking system consists of
order to facilitate efficient two components:
communication. This view
focuses on the structure of i. Turn-Constructional
language units (including component:
sounds), and conventionally describes basic units
involves using invented known as TCU’s
sentences to illustrate how (Turn-Constuctional
these rules work. Units)

 Unit types
include:
Focus on Conversation Analysis:

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 lexical,
clausal,
phrasal and
sentential.
(Note: They
are Reported by:
grammatically
and SERINO, Alain Delon L.
pragmatically
English 42 EDE Summer 2010-2011
complete
units, meaning
that in a
particular
context they
accomplish
recognizable
social actions.

ii. Turn-Allocational
Components:
describes how turns
are allocated among
participants in a
conversation. There
are three ordered
options:

 Current
speaker
selects Next
speaker.

 Next speaker
selects self as
next speaker
or

 Next speaker
continues
being Current
Speaker.

b. Sequence Organization –
concerns how actions are
ordered in conversation.

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