Discourse in English Language Education

REVIEWS TESOL Quarterly welcomes evaluative reviews of publications relevant to TESOL professionals In addition to textbooks and reference materials, these include computer and video software, testing instruments, and other forums of nonprint materials Edited by DIANE PECORARI Linnaeus University Discourse in English Language Education John Flowerdew London, England: Routledge, 2013 Pp xv + 230 doi: 10.1002/tesq.150 & In this book the author gives a wide-ranging yet thorough overview of the many approaches to discourse studies that prevail in the field today Importantly, the author’s perspective on the multifaceted research field of discourse studies is at the same time refreshingly generous and perspicaciously critical of the methods presented Such inclusiveness is of utmost importance in discourse analysis, which necessarily relies on hybrid or eclectic approaches to arrive at insightful understanding of explored data The introductory chapter gives a clear and simple definition of discourse Although the notion of discourse may seem self-explanatory, its broad application in different disciplines risks turning it into an obscure concept whose definition needs to be exposed to critical scrutiny Importantly, it is clarified that no matter how explicitly the notion of discourse is defined, the actual analysis of it is always to some extent affected by the analyst’s subjective selection of features that are deemed worthy of attention Articulating this awareness provides an honest and realistic point of departure for scientifically reliable and valid research The book’s exposition of discourse analytical models is initiated by systemic functional linguistics (SFL), which places this model in focal position Although the influence of SFL is transparent in the heading of Chapter 2, which deals with register, its dominance in the chapters on cohesion and thematic development is not completely apparent from their theory-neutral titles Given this neutrality, other per- 214 TESOL QUARTERLY Vol 48, No 1, March 2014 © 2014 TESOL International Association spectives could perhaps have been included, such as rhetoric and argumentation theory Nonetheless, the presentation in these three initial chapters provides a compelling argument for the usefulness of SFL as a methodological and explanatory resource In addition, SFL is contrasted with other models in a way that reveals both strengths and potential weaknesses For example, Flowerdew offers a concise presentation of discourse analytical approaches anchored in philosophical pragmatics, such as speech act theory and the cooperative principle, with enlightening critiques and discussion of their limitations, thus enhancing understanding of their relevance for discourse studies The chapter on genre analysis expounds on the concepts of genre and register, explaining how these notions are linked, but simultaneously emphasizing the importance of keeping them distinct The discussion, while accessible, nevertheless reveals Flowerdew’s keen theoretical insight In his contrastive presentation of the Sydney School, English for specific purposes, and rhetorical genre studies, he illuminates the differences in their perspectives while also suggesting that it is the awareness of these very differences that allows us to arrive at an analysis that takes seriously the social context as well as the linguistic level After an overview of the methodological benefits of using corpus linguistics in discourse studies, the book’s final chapter is devoted to critical discourse analysis (CDA) Saving this analytical approach for last is highly appropriate, because studies using CDA can potentially draw on all the techniques that are dealt with in the preceding chapters The account of CDA emphasizes its advantage in providing a unified frame under which different discourse analytical tools can be combined to shed light on both the sociocultural and linguistic dimensions of a research area The notion of positive discourse analysis (PDA), the proposed opposite of CDA, is briefly mentioned and justly called into question, because CDA in itself is not inherently negative The notion of PDA nevertheless functions to convey unspoken assumptions which confine CDA to certain topics, an unfortunate development which discerning and unbiased accounts like Flowerdew’s can hopefully remedy In addition to giving a rich, balanced, and interesting—even occasionally entertaining—overview of the major approaches to discourse analysis, the book has a pedagogical structure that makes it accessible for both students and researchers Each chapter starts with a simple introduction to a few key concepts that are illustrated by clear textbook examples Subsequently, concepts and issues are increasingly exposed to problematizing scrutiny, resulting in a summary of the major critique of each approach The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are thought-provoking and not immediately easy to REVIEWS 215 answer If taken seriously, they can contribute to revealing strengths and weaknesses of the models described A particularly attractive aspect of the book is the combined use of both seminal previous research and novel, lesser-known studies to support the presentation An aspect which some may find less attractive is the occasional authorial we that tends to have a royal rather than inclusive ring to it This is a negligible blemish, however, given the solid quality of the book as an excellent guide to discourse studies for students, teachers, and researchers in English CHARLOTTE HOMMERBERG Linnaeus University V€ a xj€ o , Sweden 216 TESOL QUARTERLY