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Three Ways of Looking at Discourse: Formal Approach (Language Above The Extent of The Clause or Sentence)

The document discusses three approaches to analyzing discourse: a formal approach focusing on language above the clause/sentence level, a functional approach examining how language is used in context, and a social approach viewing language as a tool for constructing social identities. It also summarizes key concepts in discourse analysis including cohesion, coherence, and different uses of discourse analysis such as revealing hidden meanings or social/political motivations.

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Faseeh Abid
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394 views

Three Ways of Looking at Discourse: Formal Approach (Language Above The Extent of The Clause or Sentence)

The document discusses three approaches to analyzing discourse: a formal approach focusing on language above the clause/sentence level, a functional approach examining how language is used in context, and a social approach viewing language as a tool for constructing social identities. It also summarizes key concepts in discourse analysis including cohesion, coherence, and different uses of discourse analysis such as revealing hidden meanings or social/political motivations.

Uploaded by

Faseeh Abid
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Three ways of looking at Discourse

◦ Formal Approach (language above the extent of the clause or sentence)


Those working from this definition usually attempt to perceive the kinds of
rule and conventions that govern the ways in which we've a bent to be a
neighborhood of clauses and sentences along to make texts.
◦ Functional Approach (language in use)

This definition finishes up in questions on however folks use language to undertake to try to to
things like create requests, issue warnings, and apologize in numerous sorts of things, and
therefore the way we've to tend to interpret what people attempt to do once they speak or write.

◦ Social Approach (language and social practice)


Language is seen not whilst a system for creating which suggests, however as a
neighborhood of larger systems through which individuals construct social
identities and social realities. Totally different folks use language in numerous
ways in which associate in nursing instructor talks otherwise than a hip-hop artist.

Field Notes
The idea that texts could be analyzed in terms their formal structure was really highly regarded
within the first and middle twentieth century. Some have taken a correct approach to discourse,
process it merely as ‘language on top of the quantity of the clause or sentence.’
Discourse analysts target is however folks really use language to urge things tired specific
contexts. it's always terribly troublesome to understand what a piece of language suggests that
while not pertaining to the social context during which it's being employed and what the one who
is exploitation it's making an effort to undertake and do.
The third side of discourse must do with the role of language in ‘social practice’ however folks
use language to advance bound versions of reality and bound relationships of power, and
additionally however our beliefs, values and social establishments square measure created
through and supported by discourse.

Cohesion
◦ Two broad sorts of linguistic devices that are wont to force readers to interact during
this process of a backward and forward-looking which provides them a way of
connectedness in texts. One sort depends on synchronic linguistics (which is
grammatical cohesion) and thus, the various sort depends tons on the meanings of
words (which is lexical cohesion).
◦ Devices familiar with produce grammatical cohesion includes:
◦ Conjunction (using ‘connecting words’)
◦ Reference (using a closed-class word to go to another word)
◦ Substitution (substituting one word or phrase for an extra word or phrase).
◦ Ellipses (leaving one thing out)

Field Notes
Cohesion primarily possesses to try to with linguistic options within the
text. Once it involves cohesion, the reader doesn’t need to be compelled
to try to any work. In fact, what creates cohesion isn't simply the
linguistic options inside the text alone, however, the actual fact that
these options lead readers to perform sure mental operations to seek out
and note of earlier or later elements of the text as they're surfing it.
Cohesion is that the quality during a text that forces you to look either
backwards or forward within the text to make sense of the things you
browse, and thru your acts of trying backwards, and forward the text
takes on a top quality of connectedness.
Conjunction refers to the use of various ‘connecting words’ (such as
conjunctions like and however, and conjunctive adverbs like what's
more and however) to hitch along clauses and sentences.
Another quite common approach we've to tend to create our texts ‘stick
together’ is by victimization words that ask words we've to tend to used
elsewhere within the text. this type of cohesive device is assumed as a
reference.
Substitution is like reference except rather than victimization pronouns,
alternative words are familiar with consult associate antecedent, that has
either seemed earlier or can appear later. Within the sentence below, as
an example, the word one is used to substitute for dress.
Ellipsis is that the omission of a noun, verb, or phrase on the assumption
that it's understood from the discourse.
Cont.
Lexical Cohesion involves the repetition of words or of words from an identical
linguistics field (e.g. milk, tomatoes, rocket).
What reference does, then, is help the reader to stay track of the varied
participants within the text as he or she reads (Eggins, 1994: 95).
Lady Gaga, who came under attack recently for wearing a meat bikini on the
duvet of Vogue Hommes Japan, wore a meat dress eventually night’s VMAs. it
had been one among many outfits she wore throughout the night. (Oldenberg,
2010).
Halliday and Hasan (1976: 297) ask texture in text as being either ‘tight’ –
meaning that there are many cohesive devices – or ‘loose’, – meaning that there
are fewer.
See notes for instance.
Field Notes

For example: - are you able to attend Lahore tomorrow?


yes, I can.
In this example the second sentence is linked with first
in sequential order. this is often cohesion.
Coherence
The relationship between the words ‘tomatoes’ and ‘rocket’ becomes meaningful to a reader
supported his or her understanding of what a shopping list is and what it's used for.
This facet of texture is known as coherence, and it’s tried to with our expectations regarding
the means components during a text need to be compelled to be organized and thus the sorts
of social actions (like shopping) that area unit associated with a given text.
Field Notes
How we've a bent to typically need to apply our expertise with past texts and with bound
conventions that have mature up in our society so on grasp new texts we've a bent to
encounter.
Coherence should do with the sort of ‘framework’ thereupon the reader approaches the text
and what he or she must use the text to undertake and do.
For example: - She said that’s the phone.
He said I’m within the bath.
She said OK.
There are a unit actually no cohesive ties at intervals this fragment of discourse. Here we've a
bent to ascertain coherence however no cohesion.

Uses of Discourse Analysis


◦ Discourse analysis is useful tool for locating out the political meanings that inform
written and spoken text.
◦ Discourse analysis not solely study language use “beyond the sentence boundary”
however additionally prefer to analyze “naturally occurring” language use, and not unreal
examples.
◦ Discourse analysis will provide a positive social psychological critique of any
development below the gaze of the person of science.
◦ Discourse analysis appearance not solely at the elemental level of what is
aforementioned, however takes into thought the encircling social and historical contexts.
◦ Discourse analysis can alter to reveal the hidden motivation behind a text or behind of
study to interpret that text.

References
◦ Eggins, S. (1994). An introduction to systemic functional linguistics. London: Pinter Pub.
◦ Oldenberg, A, (2010). Lady Gaga explains her VMA raw meat dress. USA Today, 13
September 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2011 from:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/09/lady-gaga-‐
explains-‐her-‐vma-‐raw-‐meat-‐dress/1?csp=hfn
◦ Halliday, M. A. K., and Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.

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