Scribd
Upload
3K views13 pages

Lesson 1 Text As A Connected Discourse

A discourse is a connected stretch of spoken or written language larger than a sentence that conveys a message or idea. It has coherence, cohesion, and organization to clearly communicate the intended meaning through a logical sequence of ideas. The purpose can be to inform, persuade, or entertain an audience. Text is the written representation of discourse that follows certain qualities like coherence, cohesion, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, and intertextuality to effectively convey the message.

Uploaded by

Aly Swift
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
3K views13 pages

Lesson 1 Text As A Connected Discourse

A discourse is a connected stretch of spoken or written language larger than a sentence that conveys a message or idea. It has coherence, cohesion, and organization to clearly communicate the intended meaning through a logical sequence of ideas. The purpose can be to inform, persuade, or entertain an audience. Text is the written representation of discourse that follows certain qualities like coherence, cohesion, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, and intertextuality to effectively convey the message.

Uploaded by

Aly Swift
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 13

TEXT AS A CONNECTED DISCOURSE

Reading and Writing Skills (English 121)


DISCOURSE

▪ It comes from the Latin term “discursus” which means


conversation or speech .
▪ In linguistics, it refers to the continuous stretch of
(especially spoken) language larger than a sentence.
▪ Generally, it is a set of utterances which constitute any
recognizable speech event like conversation, a sermon, a
joke, an interview, etc.
▪ It is the use of words to exchange thoughts or ideas.
Discourse

It is formed by a sequence of utterances or sentences organized in a


logical manner. It is obvious that many utterances taken by
themselves are ambiguous, but they can become clear only within a
discourse.

The use of transitional devices, observance of coherence, and


cohesion, and unity and organization of ideas are the characteristics
that constitute a discourse. This enables the message to be conveyed
properly to the readers or listeners (speech).
Discourse
▪ A discourse is a particular way of talking and understanding about the world
(or an aspect of the world) (Jorgensen and Phillips, 2010).
▪ It can simply emerge through a talk or discussion which is fixed - relying on
cultural and political context - by an individual or an organization to produce
an intended meaning. A discourse is also an attempt to fix a web of
meanings within a particular domain (Laclau and Mouffe, 1985).
▪ Discourses are also different perspectives of a different group of social
actors, such as in politics, medicine, social welfare, academia and so forth
(Fairclough 2012). More than one discourse exists at a time in a particular
socio-ecological context. A study of discourse is called ‘Discourse Analysis’.
Discourse Analysis

• Discourse analysis contends that discourses are a form of social


action that produce the social world including knowledge,
identities and social relations and thereby maintain specific
social patterns (Jorgensen and Phillips, 2010).
• A discourse conceives that knowledge is contingent because it
can only be generated through interactions. In other words,
knowledge about the social world is discursively produced
through social process and interaction, which thereby guides
individual actors to distinguish between true or false knowledge.
Purpose of Discourse

To Inform
▪ A discourse that aims to
inform provides a
descriptive and
comprehensive
discussion on the topic.

▪ It points out what one


should know about the
topic.
Purpose of Discourse

To Persuade

▪ A discourse that aims to


persuade tries to
convince the readers
that the proposed claim
or solution is better than
any other proposal.
Purpose of Discourse

To Entertain

▪ A discourse that
aims to amuse
provides a source
of entertainment
for its readers.
Text

• A piece of writing or speech or the main body of a printed or


written matter on a page
• A representation of discourse
• Written or transcribed version of any utterance or body of
discourse
• Result of the process of speech production in graphic form
CONNECTED DISCOURSE

▪ The method, either written or verbal, by which an idea is


communicated in an orderly, understandable fashion
▪ A stretch of language perceived to be meaningful,
unified, and purposive; language in use
▪ It is correlated or linked to pragmatics in which the focus
is on the meaningfulness of spoken or written language.
Whether storytelling, explaining, instructing, etc., as
speaker has intended purpose for communicating.
Qualities of a Text (Jorgensen and Phillips)

• Cohesion. The parts are connected.


• Coherence. The overall text has meaning.
• Intentionality. The writer’s attitude and purpose can be discerned.
• Acceptability. The text is organized.
• Informativity. There is a quantity of new or expected information.
• Situationality. The text’s topic is situationally and culturally
appropriate.
• Intertextuality. The text can be linked to preceeding discourse.
Cohesion -The parts are connected.

▪ Cohesion concerns the flow of sentences and paragraphs


from one to another. It involves the tying together of old
information and new. It enhances a reader's
understanding of our ideas.
Coherence

The overall text has meaning.


▪
Rome and China present two concepts of
▪ Refers to the sticking together of ideas; supporting details are
relevant to the central idea of a text
art. In Rome, the statues hang mightily over
▪ An element of writing which requires that sentences should be
the city like titans, gigantic in form, heroic
properly arranged so as to achieve logical organization of ideas in bearing, awesome in their marble
▪ Sentences are put together in such a way as to maintain a stillness. And its paintings are no different—
continuous progression of thought development giant canvasses laid out on huge walls.
▪ Logical bridge between words, sentences, and paragraphs Here, man dominates life, imposes his will
▪ It can be done by organizing ideas in a chronological order or over nature, depicting the struggle and
logical order.
victory of man over nature. On the contrary,
▪ The given sample paragraph is coherent. The ideas are pertinent
to the distinction of the two concepts of art in Rome and China. China has nature in full bloom—fish, birds,
Moreover, ideas are arranged in a deductive order wherein the
main or general idea is placed in the onset of the paragraph
beasts frolic in their habitat. The forest is set
and then substantiated and expounded by examples and ablaze by the dying sun. And in an obscure
specific descriptions. Ideas are indeed connected and smoothly
developed. corner is the silhouette of man. Here, man is
embedded and overwhelmed by nature.

You might also like