Introduction to Discourse Analysis (1)

LING1003 Language, Thought & Culture18 March 2008

Lecturer: Dr. Olga Zaytszayts@hkucc.hku.hk

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Lecture overview:

What is “discourse”? “Narrow” and “wide” definitions of discourse & examples of discourse.Three levels of DA.Examples of applications of DA.Conducting a microanalysis: cohesion.

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First use of the term “discourse”

• Zelling Harris. (1952). Discourse Analysis. Language 28:1. 1 - 30

“Discourse” has become one of the critical key concepts in the vocabulary of humanities and social sciences

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What is “discourse”?

Discourse is:

language above the sentence or above the clause

a continuous stretch of spoken language larger than a sentence, often constituting a coherent unit

a stretch of language perceived to be meaningful unified, and purposive; language in use

(viewed) as social practice determined by social structures

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What is “discourse”?

2 approaches to understanding discourse

“narrow”

Discourse as opposite to text:

Written, spoken, mediated discourse (e.g. Internet), visual discourse

“wide”

Discourse as a social practice

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Examples of discourse

Language above the sentence or above the clause:

One day her mother said to her, "Come, Little Red Cap, take this piece of cake and bottle of wine and bring them to your grandmother. She's sick and weak, and this will strengthen her. Get an early start, before it becomes hot, and when you're out in the woods, be nice and good and don't stray from the path, otherwise you'll fall and break the glass, and your grandmother will get nothing. And when you enter her room, don't forget to say good morning, and don't go peeping in all the corners.“ (Little Red Riding Hood. By J. and W. Grimm).

(written discourse)

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Examples of discourse

Discourse as a social practice:Discourses of peaceDiscourses of foodMedical discourse, etc.

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Examples of discourse

Written, spoken, marginal?hi all,first let me thx Line, or i would hv forgotten 2 do this…well, wot m i gonna say...? oh yea! there's gonna b a cultural education programme organised by members of Intensified Learning Opportunity Programme (ILOP) n da xchangeOffice fr feb 23 - 27.

There're gonna b a greaaaaat deal going on during the week […]nite niteToni

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Examples of discourseVisual Discourse

Examples of discourseMediated

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Recent approach to DADiscourse is no longer studied for its own sake. Emphasis on the applications of discourse analysis.Three levels of DA:MicroMesoMacro

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Three levels of DA

Microanalysis: analysis of linguistic features of discourseMeso level analysis: (Greek prefix mesos, middle): components of social events and the rules of discourse production within a particular institution. Macro analysis focuses on social conditions (constraints) of production of discourse and on social implications of DA.

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Examples of applications of DA

Various social problems;Law: the study of how to ask questions in court, example from the last lesson: When did you last see the murdered woman?Medicine and Therapy: the study of communication problems in medical setting; the study of how treatment decisions are negotiated in doctor-patient communication;Business and Workplace: Advertising (example of Russian billboards);

Religious values New economic

conditions

State symbol New reality

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Examples of applications of DA

Issues of gender, race and culture (“Prohibition of mixed marriages”)Education: the study of teacher talk, black English in the classroom; etc.

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Conducting a microanalysis

“Discourse Analysis” by Gillian Brown and George Yule (1983): micro analysis.Topics considered include: context and co-text, discourse topic, discourse structure, information structure, reference, coherence, cohesion.

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Cohesion

Example AOne day her mother said to her, "Come, Little Red Cap, take this piece of cake and bottle of wine and bring them to your grandmother. She's sick and weak, and this will strengthen her. Get an early start […]

Example BAnd this will strengthen her. Take this piece of cake. One day her mother said to her. She's sick.

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Cohesion

Both examples A and B - a number of simple sentences;BUT we can intuitively interpret only example A as a text;Example B was compiled by me by randomly picking up lines from “Little Red Riding Hood”. Example A can be described in terms of cohesion.Cohesion is a type of relationship within a text when one element of discourse depends on another.

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Cohesion

Cohesion distinguishes a text from something, which is not a text.Two ways to establish cohesion in a text:Grammatical: cohesive effect is achieved by the usage of grammatical means: e.g. sequence of tenses; Lexical cohesion: the cohesive effect, achieved by the selection of vocabulary.

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Interesting examples of cohesion

Woman talk, Helen Kiddsas a dance mightso the speaking or ascircling to and fro you maybe me

a movementan about aroundheel light football toe light taps itis womantalk and wonderthrough

laughter and friendsthe choreographies

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Interesting examples of cohesion

Jabberwocky, L. Carrol‘Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe;All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.He took his vorpal sword in hand:Long time the manxome foe he sought –So rested he by the Tumtum tree,And stood awhile in thought.