Lingua inglese 2 (LLEM) Discourse analysis
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Transcript of Lingua inglese 2 (LLEM) Discourse analysis
Introduction to the course
The course provides an introduction to discourse analysis (DA), that is, the study of the various dimensions of written and spoken discourse, the relationship between text and context, between text and (inter)action, as well as between discourse and power.
Note: contrary to much of traditional linguistics, discourse analysts not only study language use ‘beyond the sentence boundary’, but also prefer to analyze ‘naturally occurring’ language use, and not invented examples.
Course structure
Where and when: Thu 3-5pm (T12B); Fri 2-4pm (T12A)
The nature of discourse1. CPPR, register and genre2. Written discourse3. Spoken discourse4. The speaking-writing relationship
Discourse as action5. Speech act theory6. The cooperative principle (part 1)7. The cooperative principle (part 2)8. Relevance and politeness theory
Communicative effectiveness9. Cohesion and coherence (part 1)10. Cohesion and coherence (part 2)11. Contextual phenomena12. Argumentation and persuasion
Discourse and power13. Critical discourse studies (part 1)14. Critical discourse studies (part 2)
15. Written exam(attendance of at least 10 lessons is required)
Bibliography
You need to get:
❏ Cornbleet & Carter (2001) The language of speech and writing. London: Routledge.
I will provide you with extracts from:
❏ Renkema (2004) Introduction to discourse studies. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
❏ Wodak & Meyer (eds) (2015) Methods of critical discourse studies (3rd ed). London: Sage.
The nature of discourse
CPPR, register and genre
Lesson 1Thu 25 February, 2016
What is text? What is discourse?
Text is any coherent set of linguistic signs that conveys some kind of message.
In Latin, textum means ‘woven’, which suggests the ideaof weaving words together into a fabric.
Discourse denotes any form of spoken and/or written communication.
In Latin, discursus means ‘running to and fro’;the term has long been used to indicaterehearsed forms of spoken language.
The CPPR framework
How do these three texts differ from each other, and why?
The CPPR framework
They differ in terms of… (C)ontext
Communication does not exist in a vacuum. All language is created in context, and the context gives language meaning and shapes discourse.
Context has many levels: the material environment in which the text is created/presented, the communicative event or situation, the broader historical, social, and cultural context.
The CPPR framework
They differ in terms of… (P)urpose
All communication is purpose-driven, as we have a purpose in mind for communicating in the medium and style (register) we choose. That purpose may or may not be achieved, but it still underlies the message and affects the way in which it is conveyed.
* Purpose largely determines genre (see further on).
The CPPR framework
They differ in terms of… (P)roducer
The identity of the producer (age, gender, personality, educational background, idiolect, status, creativity etc.) influences the way in which texts are created and presented.
Moreover, the producer may project his/her identity in the text in different ways (as author).
The CPPR framework
They differ in terms of… (R)eceiver
The receiver often has a very active role to play, especially in conversation, as s/he is helps to shape the discourse as it goes along, influencing what is said and how it is said.
Broadly speaking, the receiver brings a certain amount of background knowledge to a text, interacts with the text, decodes it and interprets it in an individual way.
The CPPR framework
The relationship between the producer and the receiver of a text is often projected in, and mediated by, the text itself. Texts construe implied producers and intended receivers, which may not correspond to the actual ones. Working out this relationship is a key aspect of interpreting texts.
The CPPR framework
Look at this parking sign.
Who is the actual producer, andwho is the implied one?
Who are the intended receivers, and who may be the actual ones?
The CPPR framework
Consider this spam email message.
Who is the actualproducer, and who is the implied one?
Who are the intended receivers, and who maybe the actual ones?
The CPPR framework
The CPPR framework is a great tool for discourse analysis because it helps to understand how factors such as context, purpose, producer and receiver shape the ways in which texts are created and interpreted.
However, if we wish to capture the complexities of language use in a variety of social situations, we need to complement the CPPR framework with the concept of...
Register
A register is a variety of a language used in a particular social setting.
Halliday & Hasan (1976) define it as “the linguistic features which are typically associated with a configuration of situational features – with particular values of the field, mode and tenor.”
Register
Field is the domain of experience of the communicative event (e.g. science, family life, education, politics, etc.).
Mode is the function of the text in the event; it includes channel (spoken/written), genre, rhetorical mode (persuasive, narrative, informative, etc.).
Tenor refers to the social relations that exist among the participants involved (e.g. status, social distance, stance, etc.).
Depending on these elements, the register can be intimate, casual, consultative, professional, formal or even ‘frozen’.
Register
Look at these two brief conversations: how would you explain the difference in register (in terms of field, mode and tenor)?
1. - Hornworms sure vary a lot in how well they grow.- Really? How?
2. - Hornworm growth exhibits a significant amount of variation.- Can you please quantify the variation based on your data?
Focus on: register > mode > genre
Genre is any category of discourse (written or spoken) based on some set of common stylistic features concerning both form and content. Genres are often highly structured and conventionalized, which makes them easily recognisable.
Focus on: register > mode > genre
The specific functions of a genre determine to a great extent the linguistic features that are peculiar to that genre. Among the CPPR factors, then, purpose (P) is key to defining genre.
Though based on conventions, genres are flexible categories that adapt to the evolving needs of communication:
i) genres tend to change over timeii) texts often recombine genre conventions in creative waysiii) texts may even challenge or subvert the genre conventions
Focus on: register > mode > genre
Example of how differentgenres can be recombinedin a creative way.
Taken from The language of speechand writing, p. 39
