What is Discourse Analysis?

Distributes D.A. into

large texts

social context

early 1960s

D.A. emerged from

disciplines

Linguistics
Semiotics
Psychology
Anthropology
Sociology

British Tradition

American Tradition

Conversation analysis

Examining patterns in talk behavior

Unity of Discourse Analysis

Exploring:

Contexts

Cultural influences

Text Grammarians

Texts -> linguistic elements

Applications in Linguistics

Impacting second
language
learning and teaching.

Structural-linguistic criteria

Intonation in discourse

Speech acts

Particular

Request
Instruction

Fragments

Important issues

Specific sense

Stretches

that force:

Requesting

seen as:

Performing a
particular act

Instructing

Examples:

"Tell me about the time you . . . ?"

"You've . . ., haven't you?'"

Discourse structures

Based on:

Internal formation

Enlargement

Ultimate and complete discourse

Oral topic

Relationship

Language

and

Contexts of its use

Discourse has:

Beginning

Introduce

Settings

Characters

Problems

Middle

Events

End

Closure

McCarthy (2000)

D.A. concerns

Description and analysis

Written interaction

Different genres

Newspapers

Letters

Stories

Recipes

Instructions

Notices

Comics

Billboards

Etc

Scope of D.A.

Study of

Spoken interaction

Written interaction

Expectations

Coherent communications

Meaningful communications

Words/sentences linked

Overall aim

Better understanding

Natural spoken discourse

Natural written discourse

Emphasizes

Practical & Useful

application of language

Encompasses elements like

Grammar
Lexicon
Phonology (including intonation, pitch, and juncture)

Birmingham´ model

RELATIVELY SIMPLE AND POWERFUL

LANGUAGE OF TRADITIONAL

Native-speaker
with a rigid pattern

Perceptions teachers and pupils´ roles

Highly structured sequences.

Signal of the beginning and end.

Framing move and transaction

Structured and formal

-Settings telephone calls
-Job interview.

Internal structure

Teacher asks - a pupil answers

Pattern

Ask T
Answer P
Comment T

Moves

1 Question
2 Answer
3 Comment

1 Question
2 Information
3 Command

1 Answer
2 Acknowledgement
3 Non-verbal response

Initiation
Response
Follow-up.

Concentrating on

Message

The initial question by Speaker A serves the function of seeking information about the owner of the laptop.

Speaker A follow-up shifts to a declarative sentence, using intonation to convey doubt.

This showcases how form (sentence structure) is adapted to serve a different communicative function (expressing doubt).