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What Is Discourse Analysis

This document discusses discourse analysis and its history. Discourse analysis examines the relationship between language and context by identifying patterns in written and spoken communication. It draws from linguistics, psychology, sociology, and other fields to understand how language functions in social environments. Historically, theorists in the 1960s-1970s like Zellig Harris, Dell Hymes, and John Austin influenced the field by studying linguistic elements in texts, speech in social settings, and the performative aspects of language. Their work led to models of discourse developed by others like Halliday and Sinclair that focused on social functions, themes, and interaction patterns in communication.

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Toño Lorenzo Sanchez
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85 views3 pages

What Is Discourse Analysis

This document discusses discourse analysis and its history. Discourse analysis examines the relationship between language and context by identifying patterns in written and spoken communication. It draws from linguistics, psychology, sociology, and other fields to understand how language functions in social environments. Historically, theorists in the 1960s-1970s like Zellig Harris, Dell Hymes, and John Austin influenced the field by studying linguistic elements in texts, speech in social settings, and the performative aspects of language. Their work led to models of discourse developed by others like Halliday and Sinclair that focused on social functions, themes, and interaction patterns in communication.

Uploaded by

Toño Lorenzo Sanchez
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco

División Académica de Educación y Artes

Licenciatura en idiomas

Discourse analysis

7G

Juan Antonio Sánchez Lorenzo


What is Discourse analysis?

Some authors define Discourse analysis as a process that includes a series of patterns to indentify
the relationship between language and context, how it is written or spoken and how it works in
the environment.

But this definition is in a general idea, so how can identify these patterns? Well, resolve this
question is need know different disciplines for helping and understand how the language works.
For example we need the knowledge about the linguistics, and the branches of this semantics,
pragmatics, morphology, syntax, phonetics, phonology

As we know linguistic studies the all language in a general aspect, but … includes in its branches to
explain how language is builted. Firstly, it is mentioned about semantics and pragmatics. Is
defined as the study of the meaning of words literally(semantics) that’s means can find the
meaning word in a dictionary. But pragmatics studies the meaning of words but in a different
way, is like a meaning hide, is say something without say the word, or without be explicit.

So, morphology studies the structure and patterns of the words, how they are created and his
components, categories and use. And syntax, is defined as the study of the order of the words
includes in a sentence or texts.

Phonology studies how we can produce the sound includes the organism, as tongue ,lips ,teeth

And phonetics studies the symbols phonetics and how produces them following the International
Phonetic Alphabet.

All this disciplines help to discourse and identify all the aspects in a written or spoken way in a
context of language.

But there other disciplines to understand how the language are involved in a social context, for
example the psychology, ‘cause studies the human mind; sociology studies the human conduct in
a group, anthropology in other side studies the grow of the human through the environment and
society.

History

In the 60’s and 70’s were fruitful ‘cause many researchers and them contributions achieve for
develop all knowledge exist nowadays.

Zellig Harris(1909-1992) in 1952 was interested in linguistics elements like the conjunctions and
prepositions are linked or connect in the text and the social situation.
Dell Hymes(1927-2009) in 1964 provided a sociological perspective with the study of speech in the
social settings, this means how people speak in different environment, social setting is defined as
the different groups (e. g. academic,religious,political,society,etc).

But linguistics philosophers were influese by the concept as the social action, linguisitics as Jhon
Langshaw Austin(1911-1960) Austin, is the creator of the speech act theory and how to do things
with words. in this theory, Austin explain how say something to do something,but in speech act
theory exist some factors that complet the communicative process. This consist in:

Locutionary-is a part in communication to say or transfer an idea (just speak)

Illocutionary-is defined as the performed act(in communication) in a context given, who receive
the idea or information.

Perlocutionary-is defined as the consequence of say something (result of locutionary and


illocutionary).

Grice(1975) in otherway of speech act, proposed a set of rules to be successful in communicative


act,called conversational maxims, in this maxims include:

Relation: say something important and relevant.

Quality: use words truthful; don’t say lies or something without evidence

Quantity: don’t excess the words, say the adequate and enough words

Manner: don’t prolong the conversations unnecessary, be concise and brief.

whit these advices or rules(accordin to Austin and Grice),you will be able to communicate
successfully.

In Britain linguistics as halliday,Sinclair and coulthard, developed other focus to discourse,

Halliday (1973)for example,was made a framework to emphasises the social functions,in the
language and thematic.this means he was concentrated in what people want communicate as
written or spoken structures, the social functions as requests,questions,invitations
,apology,greeting,etc.

Sinclair and coulthard developed a model for description of patterns in the communication,based
in social hierarchy. For example someone makes a question and other person should answer it.

Bibliography

McCharthy Michael,Discourse analysis for language teachers

Coulthard, an introduction to discourse analysis.

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