Describing Discourse

For anyone approaching Discourse Analysis for the first time, theory means little when it is not related to actual knowledge and experience of language in use. Describing Discourse takes the unique approach of introducing discourse studies through the hands-on analysis of linguistic data. The book introduces students to specific discourses constructed for particular purposes, for example, from the domains of advertising, law, medicine and education. Each chapter provides examples, exercises and commentary designed to develop the analytical abilities needed in describing the characteristic forms and typical functions of different discourses. Describing Discourse provides the ideal entry into the study of discourse for students new to the subject.

This accessible guide to discourse employs an innovative, inductive approach, with a clear focus on genre that allows students to examine language in context. Using real texts, students are shown how each dimension of discourse links together and are offered practical guidance on how to carry out a discourse analysis project.

This set of eleven articles, by linguists from four different European countries and a variety of theoretical backgrounds, takes a new look at the discourse functions of a number of English connectives, from simple coordinators (and, but) to phrases of varying complexity (after all, the fact is that). Using authentic spoken and written data from varied sources, the authors explore the ways in which current uses of connectives result from the interaction of syntax, semantics and prosody, both over time and through diversity of discourse situations. Most adopt an integrative approach in which speaker-listener or writer-reader relationships are viewed as part and parcel of the linguistic properties of each marker. Because it combines functional, generative and enunciative approaches into a coherent whole with a common explanatory aim, this book will be of interest to linguists, corpus-linguists and all those who investigate the semantics-pragmatics interface.

Discourse on the Move is the first book-length exploration of how corpus-based methods can be used for discourse analysis, applied to the description of discourse organization. The primary goal is to bring these two analytical perspectives together: undertaking a detailed discourse analysis of each individual text, but doing so in terms that can be generalized across all texts of a corpus. The book explores two major approaches to this task: ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’. In the ‘top-down’ approach, the functional components of a genre are determined first, and then all texts in a corpus are analyzed in terms of those components. In contrast, textual components emerge from the corpus analysis in the bottom-up approach, and the discourse organization of individual texts is then analyzed in terms of linguistically-defined textual categories. Both approaches are illustrated through case studies of discourse structure in particular genres: fund-raising letters, biology/biochemistry research articles, and university classroom teaching.

With unique and powerful data from within a big city prison, this book clarifies the role that conversational analysis can have within a Critical Discourse Analysis perspective. In a detailed linguistic analysis of the language use of prison officers and prisoners involved in a prison based course, the author charts the shifting power relations of control and resistance and situates the findings in a broader sociological analysis of the prison as an institution. The study will interest sociolinguists, discourse analysts, and researchers in communication studies, criminology and counselling.

Discourse Analysis: The Questions Discourse Analysts Ask and How They Answer Them is the first introductory text organized around the kinds of questions discourse analysts ask and how they are systematically addressed by analysts of different empirical persuasions, thereby cultivating a principled understanding of the interdisciplinary field of discourse analysis. The text promotes synthesis, integration, and a multidimensional understanding of the core issues that preoccupy discourse analysts. (1) How is discourse structured? (2) How are social actions accomplished in discourse? (3) How are identities negotiated in discourse? (4) How are ideologies constructed in discourse? The answer to each question is illustrated with transcripts and analyses of actual discourse as exemplified in key studies in the field. With a range of other features such as boxed definitions, study questions, and analytical tasks, this guide to the complex world of discourse is an ideal resource for courses on discourse analysis.

Discourse on the Move is the first book-length exploration of how corpus-based methods can be used for discourse analysis, applied to the description of discourse organization. The primary goal is to bring these two analytical perspectives together: undertaking a detailed discourse analysis of each individual text, but doing so in terms that can be generalized across all texts of a corpus. The book explores two major approaches to this task: 'top-down' and 'bottom-up'. In the 'top-down' approach, the functional components of a genre are determined first, and then all texts in a corpus are analyzed in terms of those components. In contrast, textual components emerge from the corpus analysis in the bottom-up approach, and the discourse organization of individual texts is then analyzed in terms of linguistically-defined textual categories. Both approaches are illustrated through case studies of discourse structure in particular genres: fund-raising letters, biology/biochemistry research articles, and university classroom teaching.

The contributors to this collection offer an essential introduction to the ways in which feminist linguistics and critical discourse analysis have contributed to our understanding of gender and sex. By examining how these perspectives have been applied to these concepts, the contributors provide both a review of the literature, as well as an opportunity to follow the most recent debates in this area. Gender and Discourse brings together European, American and Australian traditions of research. Through an analysis of a range of `real′ data, the contributors demonstrate the relevance of these theoretical and methodological insights for gender research in particular and social practice in general.