Introduction to Discourse Analysis

 

Introduction to Discourse Analysis

■ The analysis of discourse is, necessarily, the analysis of language in use.

 

 

INTRODUCTION

■ It is hard to draw the line between text and context.

 

■ Examples:

1. Child (pointing at the food on the plate in front of him): What's this? 

☞ The referent of this is the food on the child's plate. The referent is clear because the child is physically pointing to what he is talking about. It is a situational  context.

 

2. Claude thinks we should postpone the picnic. What do you think of this?
☞ The referent of this is an idea previously mentioned in the ongoing discourse "we should postpone the picnic." We refer to this type of reference as a textual reference because we find the referent in the prior text. 


■ The pragmatic analysis would take language variation in use into account. 

 

■ Language teaching, therefore, must be concerned with how both the discourse itself and the overall context contribute to communication.