discourse analysis discourse analysis danang october 2009 i introduction linguistic forms functions i 1 the functions of language i 2 spoken and written language i 3 sentence and utterance the func

Differences in form b/t spoken & written language  The norm of written language: highly. literate language[r]

DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

I Introduction: linguistic forms & functions

I.1 The functions of language

The functions of language  DA cannot be limited to linguistic forms

independent of their purposes/functions  terms to describe the major functions of

language: transactional & interactional  Other pairs of terms:

 representative/expressive  referential/emotive

 ideational/interpersonal;

I.1.1 The transactional view  The most important function of

language: the communication of information (Lyons; Bennett).

 The faculty of language has enabled the

human race to develop diverse cultures.

 Language used to convey “factual or

propositional information”: primarily

I.1.2 The interactional view  Language is used to establish and maintain

social relationships: phatic in sociology & anthropology

 A lot of daily human interaction is

characterized by the primarily interpersonal than the primarily transactional use of

language

I.2.Spoken & written language

I.2.1 Manner of Production:

 What are the differences b/t the speaker & the writer?

 Voice, paralinguistic cues

 How to control the communicative

production process

 What are the advantages for the writer/the

I.2.2 The representation of discourse:

Text

 Problems of representing spoken & written language

 Text: a technical term: the verbal record of a communicative act

 Written text: may be presented in many ways to serve various purposes of writers:

 Spoken text:

• Simplest view: a tape-recording of a communicative act

• The discourse analyst makes a written transcription of a tape-recording

• The segmental record of spoken words: normal orthographic conventions

 The transcription of a spoken text

should be presented using the conventions of written language.

 The notion ‘Text’ may appear objective.  The perception & interpretation of each

text is essentially subjective.

 Different individuals pay attention to

I.2.5 Relationship b/t speech & writing

 How you interpret this statement:

‘The major differences between speech and writing derive from the fact that

one is essentially transitory and the other is designed to be permanent.’

I.2.6 Differences in form b/t spoken & written language  The norm of written language: highly

literate language.

 The norm of spoken language: the

speech of those who have not spent many years exposed to written

language.

 Features that characterize spoken

I.3 Sentence & utterance  Non-technically: sentences are written &

utterances are spoken

 Lyons’ view: distinction b/t ‘system sentences and text sentences’

 In DA, the term ‘sentence’ is used in the sense of ‘text sentence’, not ‘system

sentence’

 I.3.1 On ‘data’

 I.3.2 Rules versus regularities

A regularity in discourse: a linguistic feature which occurs in a definable environment with a significant frequency

DA: a set of techniques, rather than a

theoretically predetermined system for the writing of ‘linguistic rules’

I.3.3 Product versus process

 Sentence-as-object view  Text-as-product view

 Discourse-as-process view

I.3.4 On ‘Context’