From Text Linguistics to Discourse Analysis

Question 1

What is the definition of text for De Beaugrande and Dressler?

Answer 1

Text is a communicative event that must satisfy the following seven criteria:
1. Cohesion
2. Coherence
3. Intentionality
4. Acceptability
5. Informativity
6. Situationality
7. Intertextuality

Question 2

Which criteria are text-internal ones?

Answer 2

Cohesion and coherence

Question 3

Which criteria are text-external ones?

Answer 3

Intentionality, acceptability, informativity, situationality and intertextuality

Question 4

What’s the difference between text linguistics and discourse analysis?

Answer 4

“Pure” text linguists give more emphasis to text-internal criteria (text), whereas discourse analysts traditionally attach more importance to the text-external factors (context).

Question 5

Why is discourse analysis more complete than text linguistics?

Answer 5

“…Discourse Analysis is more complete because it studies both text and context. However, […] there are definitions of text (like de Beaugrande’s) that are very broad and include both elements, and that is why it would be very risky to talk about clear-cut differences between the two disciplines” (Alba Juez 2005: 18).

Question 6

What do we mean by “discourse”?

Answer 6

1. Anything beyond the sentence;
2. Language use;
3. A broader range of social practice that includes non-linguistic and non-specific instances of language

Question 7

Describe Norman Fairclough’s model of a communicative event (1992)

Answer 7

It contains three levels:
1. TEXT: its analysis deals with the same elements of TL and looks for patterns (in syntax, lexis…)
2. DISCOURSE PRACTICE: its analysis deals with processes of text production/consumption (e.g. editorial processes) and looks
for patterns associated with a given topic or activity (e.g.
political discourse, media discourse…)
3. SOCIAL PRACTICE: its analysis looks for patterns in both the immediate situational context as well as the society and culture in which the text is produced (e.g. gendered representation of women, racist representation of immigrants…)

Question 8

Why is discourse multimodal?

Answer 8

◼ All communicative events are multimodal (i.e. they rely on more than one semiotic system)
◼ The notion of discourse not only refers to the purely linguistic content, but it also considers sign language,
dramatization, the speakers’ disposition or the way they stand, talk, walk, laugh….
◼ Discourse Analysis relies on multimodal analytical tools

Question 9

What do discourse analysts study?

Answer 9

1. The language of humour;
2. Power relationships in doctor/patient interviews;
3. Dialogue in chat rooms;
4. The discourse of the archives, records or files of psychoanalysts;
5. The conversation at a dinner table;
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