Discourse Analysis Flashcards
Discourse Analysis
As language users we make sense of what we read in texts, understand what speaker mean despite what they say, recognize connected as opposed to jumbled
or incoherent discourse, and successfully take part in that complex activity called conversation, we are undertaking what is known as discourse analysis. For example, we can make sense of notices like “No
shoes, no services”, on shop windows in summer, understanding that a conditional relation exists between the two phrases.
Cohesion
Cohesion means ties and connections which exist within texts. For example, in following text: “My father once bought a Lincoln convertible. He did it by saving every penny he could. The car would be worth a fortune nowadays.
However he sold it to help to pay for my college education. Some times I think I’d rather have the convertible”.
In the text we have some connections:
father- he- he- he; my- my- I; Lincoln- it; bought- saving- penny- worth a fortune- sold- pay; nowadays- sometimes- once.
The key to the concept of coherence is not
something which exists in the language, but something which exists in people.
English conversation
English conversation can be described as an activity where, for the most part, two or people take turns at speaking. For the most part, participants wait until one speaker indicates that he or she has finished by signaling a completion point. There are different styles and
strategies of conversational interaction. Rudeness occurs when one speaker appears to cut in on another speaker. Shyness occurs when one speaker keeps
waiting for an opportunity to take a turn and none seems to occur the participants characterized as rude or shy in this way may simply be adhering to slightly different conventions of turn taking.
One strategy used by those who holding the floor (politicians, lecturers) designed to avoid having normal completion points.
The cooperative principle
The cooperative principle is stated in the following way: “Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.
Supporting these principles are the four maximum: Quantity: Make your contribu-tion as is required, but more or less than is required.
Quality: Do not say that which you believe false or for which you lack evidence.
Relation: Berelevant.
Manner: Be clear, brief and orderly.
Hedges
We use certain types of expressions, called hedges, to show that we are concerned about following maxims while being co-operative participants in conversation. Hedges can be defined as words or phrases used to indicate that we’re not really sure that
we’re not really sure that we’re saying is sufficiently correct or complete. We can use sort of or kind of as hedges on the accuracy of our statements
as in descriptions such as His heir was kind of long or the book cover is sort of yellow. These are examples of hedges on the quality maxim.
We use certain types of expressions, called hedges, to show that we are concerned about following maxims while being co-operative participants in conversation. Hedges can be defined as words or phrases used to indicate that we’re not really sure that
we’re not really sure that we’re saying is sufficiently correct or complete. We can use sort of or kind of as hedges on the accuracy of our statements
as in descriptions such as His heir was kind of long or the book cover is sort of yellow. These are examples of hedges on the quality maxim.
Sometimes speakers implying someth-ing that is not said. Implicature is an additional conveyed meaning. In the following conversation: Carol: Are you coming to the party tonight. Lara: I’ve got an exam tomorrow. Carol will immediately interpret the statement as meaning ‘No’ or ‘probably not’.
Background Knowledge
Consider following sentences: John was on his way school last Friday.Most people believe that John is probably a school boy. Since this piece of information is not directly stated in the text, it must be an inference. The inferences are clearly derived
from our conventional knowledge about going to school and no reader has ever suggested that John is swimming. A schema is a general term for a conven-tional knowledge structure.
