...An Approach to Corpus-based Discourse Analysis: The Move Analysis as Example THOMAS A . UPTON AND MARY ANN COHEN Abstract This article presents a seven-step corpus-based approach to discourse analysis that starts with a detailed analysis of each individual text in a corpus that can then be generalized across all texts of a corpus, providing a description of typical patterns of discourse organization that hold for the entire corpus. This approach is applied specifically to a methodology that is used to analyze texts in terms of the functional/communicative structures that typically make up texts in a genre: move analysis. The resulting corpus-based approach for conducting a move analysis significantly enhances the value of this often used (and misused) methodology, while at the same time providing badly needed guidelines for a methodology that lacks them. A corpus of ‘birthmother letters’ is used to illustrate the approach. Biber et al. (2007) explore how discourse structure and organization can be investigated using corpus analysis; they offer a structured, seven-step corpusbased approach to discourse analysis that results in generalizable descriptions of discourse structure. This article draws on the themes in this book, but focuses in particular on analyses that use theories on communicative or functional purposes of text as the starting point for understanding why texts in a corpus are structured the way they are, before moving to a closer examination and description of...
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...DEFINITIONS OF DISCOURSE 1.1. Introduction In this introductory unit we are going to look at a number of definitions of discourse and to try to define some key terms used in discourse analysis, with the aim of clarifying its scope in such a way that it can deal with a wide range of problems and phenomena, but in a more systematic and coherent way. Discourse analysis refers, in a very basic sense, to talk. What most people do most of the time is talk, because to do anything requires talk and, often, texts, both in private and public spheres. However, until recently, little attention has been given to what people actually say and do in particular everyday circumstances. People talk about the world, about their work, about others and their relations with them. And in talking, they do things. That was Austin’s (1962) revolutionary insight into an aspect of language that had not been fully recognized: the pragmatic function of language, what language does to make social life possible. This turn to language, or to discourse, has had the effect of breaking down barriers between different social sciences concerned with the analysis of everyday social life. 1.2. Definitions of discourse Discourse analysis is widely recongnised as one of the most vast and least defined areas of linguistics. One reason for this is that the understanding of discourse is based on scholarship from a number of academic disciplines that are quite different from one another, such as, the philosophy...
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...them. Everyone has their own way of writing, but their way was influenced by another source whether they know it or not. Individuality in writing is influenced through transferability. Technical writing is something that is learned. In school everyone was taught how to format an essay or different types of writing like poems or stories. Anything that I did in class I was always given a template of how the instructor wanted the paper to be written. This would have word count, the format, and what the paper should be about. All throughout school we learned the fundamentals of writing starting with letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, to structures of writing like essays and poems. The thing that is learned from writing is technical. As my English education grows the technical side is less focused on while the content is the most important thing. Content is the writing that I am doing now. The content portion of writing is not learned but influenced by others. My writing becomes influenced through examples like essays. In this English class, I believe that that’s how these three previous essays worked out. The Scholarly Discourse Unit paper was a paper that had us synthesize how we thought the writers Gee, Swales, and Porter connected to each other. I used transferability to apply the knowledge that I got from each of the three sources and created an argument that I could synthesize with each other. This paper gave me the opportunity to express my ideas but what I had to write...
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...Preface/Unit Reflection I had many thoughts about my audience and the format of this essay before I started, but as I haven’t done essays in a long time (business majors usually focus on projects, not essays), I decided that I wanted to write my first project in a straightforward fashion. I feel that I need to get the rust off my writing, so to speak I chose to write to the rest of the class because 1) They will be peer reviewing it, so it’s convenient for them that they are the target audience and 2) I could express my thoughts in a straightforward fashion that my audience can relate to very well, as they are in the same position as I am. I wrote this essay as if I was writing to an intellectual friend who is also taking this class, is very interested in English and entrepreneurship, and wanted to see how the two topics coincided through the lens of genre analysis. I assumed that the reader knew the definitions of materiality, genre and genre analysis, and discourse community, as the intended reader is in this class and has done the readings. Surprisingly, I learned a lot about my field through reading and writing for this unit. I really loved the challenging readings, as it seemed as if I were “getting smarter” reading them. Pushing my brain processing abilities is great for my brain’s capabilities, which I value. As I wrote, I would constantly think of new ideas about my field, such as the materiality of online articles in an entrepreneur’s life, and think hard. I appreciate...
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...Table of Contents 1.1 Introduction1 Extract Overview1 Discourse Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 Alternative Discourse…………………………………………………………………………………………….3 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4 1.1 Introduction Discourse analysis is both an old and a new discipline. Its origins can be traced back to the study of language, public speech, and literature more than 2000 years ago. (Schiffrin, 2001) Much of the structural analysis of the term can be said to have resulted from books such as the archaeology of knowledge, discipline and punish and the history of sexuality which were written by the famous sociologist Michael Foucault. Foucault defines discourse as ways of constituting knowledge, together with social practices, forms of subjectivity and power relations, which inhere in such knowledge, and relations between them. (Quinby, 1999) Putnam and Fairhurst [2001: 79] use the term 'discourse analysis' to refer to 'the study of words and signifiers, including the form or structure of these words, the use of language in context, and the meanings or interpretation of discursive practices'. Discourses are more than ways of thinking and producing meaning (this meaning could be in form of language, speech, text etc.). They constitute the ‘nature’ of the body, unconscious and conscious and conscious mind and emotional life of the subjects they seek to govern (Weedon, 1987) 1.2 Extract Overview The extract to be assessed is...
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...This report explores critical discourse analysis as a theory in rhetoric discourse and speech act and pragmatics. The framework of analysis includes the mixture of my own ideas and theory of various experts such and Aristotle, Tuan Van Dijk, H.P Grice and Robert Dilts. As critical discourse analysis is a very flexible term of social linguistic study and it allows one to go with the own ideas, here I have chosen suitable analytical tool of experts to analyze the two different discourse, one is verbal discourse ( Tryst with Destiny) and second is written discourse ( Toyoda’s statement 2013) and at the end comparison of both discourse. Key words: critical discourse analysis, rhetoric discourse, speech act, pragmatics, social linguistic, tryst with destiny, Toyoda’s statement 2013. INTRODUCTION Critical discourse analysis (CDA) comprises three inter-related processes of analysis which are linked up with three inter-related dimensions of discourse. Three inter-related process of analysis. 1) Text analysis (description) 2) Processing analysis ( interpretation) 3) Social analysis ( explanation) Three inter-related dimensions of CDA. 1) Discourse structure (systematically and explicitly described structure at all level) 2) Social structure (in the context of society) 3) Cognitive structure ( mental cognitive interface) The three dimensions of CDA is coherently related with each other to make up a substantial discourse where mental cognitive interface...
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...A semiotic and discursive analysis of Givenchy’s Gentlemen Only advertisement Advertisements are common within society and we are constantly subjected to them in our everyday lives. On the surface, it is simply the way businesses market products. However some argue it also advertises lifestyles and social identities (Dyer, 1982). Semiotic analysis is the study of “signs” to understand the underlying rules of messages we receive, and looks at the sign itself, the codes which organise it and the cultural context in which the code and sign make sense (Fiske, 1990). Discursive analysis on the other hand focuses more on the “discourses” that give meaning to representations such as advertisements, and how representations produce social knowledge (Hall 1997). Both approaches have significant differences, yet when combined can help achieve a thorough analysis of advertisements in relation to the influence it has on social identity and society. Ferdinand de Saussure contributed greatly to semiotic study. He prophesised a study of “signs within a society” and labelled it “semiology” (Hall 1997). Saussure took a structural look at how signs constructed meaning by presenting a signifier which signifies certain ideas within a cultural context. These signifiers are understood through various codes which are embedded within specific cultures (Fiske, 1990). In the context of advertising, this model allows us to decipher the signifiers and what they signify, and in essence understand the “true”...
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...textual analysis. These two methods are the most beneficial forms of qualitative methods because they will assist in getting more exposure on how social media can be used as a modem for social change and activism. I will use a case study of one organization that has used social media to enable them to start some form of activism leading to social change. Ethical Treatment Every single detail of this study will be disclosed to the participants during and after the study. Each participant will be given their rights to privacy which will ultimately not be violated in any way. Each participant can leave the study at...
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...Alyssa Standridge Section 014 M. Silva March 27, 2016 The Humane Society as a Discourse Community According to the Linguist John Swales, a discourse community is “a group that has goals or purposes, and uses communication to achieve these goals.” One example of a discourse community is the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County. The Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County is a non-profit organization that cares for over 6,000 animals each year. The Humane Society has numerous goals and ambitions, but one strong mission. The mission is to assure a better life for companion animals by providing shelter, finding loving homes and promoting respect for their place in our lives. The discourse community of the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County uses both written text and graphics to communicate between its rhetors and readers. The Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County has been living out its mission and goals since it was founded in 1933. One of its main goals, which is continuously being fulfilled by the members in its discourse community, is to place adoptable animals in “forever homes.” Their goals are to serve the people and animals of Memphis and surrounding areas by providing several services, such as low cost spay and neuter programs, humane sheltering for lost, abandoned and neglected pets, return of lost pets to families, humane education, pet therapy services, strengthening the human-animal bond, providing disaster preparedness, and...
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...Islam’s ‘theology of rape’ The sound file aims intervene the discourse of Islamic religion through accounting for the recent but continuing exploitation of Islamic women, in particular, the religious minority group of Yaziti. Foucoult argues that discourse is ‘often rooted in organisaions which both control and are structured by distinct disciplinary knowledge’ (Frow, 2004) regulating the conduct of others (Hall 1997). Such as groups and members of ISIS, representing the Islamic state of Iraq which are regulated by it’s religious discourse. The discourse itself, formulated and produced objects within subjects of our knowledge (Barker. C and Galaniski, D 2001), such as texts like the Qu’ran, a central religious text of Islam, providing strict principles and ethics, encoding a way of behavior that is practiced globally. Acts such as prayer can be understood as a certain tradition or behavior that is governed by religious belief. Throughout the soundscape, I have shown how customs, like this are often exploited through acts of sex and sexual slavery towards the women of Iraq. Evidently, social order is constituted by discourses of power (Barker, C. & Galasinski, D. 2001), thus I chose to highlight the power of the ISIS and regulation of it’s religious discourse through audio reports of women suffering from rape to connote the authority of the ISIS. Hall argues that nothing has any meaning outside it’s discourse’ (Hall.S 1997, pg 45), evidently the file is sequenced to open...
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...implicated in their identities. I also explore the possible influence of the learners’ cultural and ethnic backgrounds on their language practices, and related to this, the expression of their identities. I look at how their language practices help them shift identities with space and purpose, and the contradictions therein. The study draws on poststructuralist theories of language and identity (Weedon, 1997; Zegeye, 2001), in considering how language constitutes identity (Pennycook, 2004) and self and other ‘positioning’ (Davies and Harre`, 1990) It also draws on Bourdieu’s (1991) theorizing of language and power and language as a form of cultural capital. I draw on two traditions in qualitative research: case study and ethnography. In my analysis of the data, I argue that...
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...FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES LINGUISTIC MEANS OF POTRAYING MAIN CHARACTERS IN “THE CANTERBURY TALES” BY GEOFFREY CHAUCER COURSE PAPER PRESENTED BY LILIA YAREMA a fourth year student of the English department SUPERVISED BY SPODARYK O. V. an assistant professor of the English department LVIV 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………… 3-4 CHAPTER I. THEORETICAL ISSUES IN LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS…… 5-16 1.1 Linguistic analysis……………………………………………… 5-8 1.2 Discourse and Text analyses….…………….………………….. 9-11 1.3 Stylistic analysis ………………………………………………… 12-16 CHAPTER II. LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF CHAUCER’S CHARACTERS 17-28 2.1 “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” ……………………………………… 18-22 2.2 “The Pardoner’s Tale” ………………………………………….. 23-28 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………. 29-30 REFERENCES...… ………………………………………………………….. 31-32 INTRODUCTION The theme of the course paper is “Linguistic means of portraying main characters in “The Canterbury tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer”. This paper intends to make an analysis of the language in the collection of stories “The Canterbury Tales”, written by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of 14th century. We will analyze the language used to describe characters. It was based on the idea that every choice made by the author of a sentence is meaningful. Therefore, once we understand the choices the author makes when describing a character, we are able to have a better understanding of what this author...
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...research and the time they dedicated to all of the interviews and member checks. I also thank the principals who gave me permission to conduct this study. I especially acknowledge and thank physical education teachers Celeste Alfred, for welcoming me to her school, and Vickie Braud for her great help in making contacts necessary to complete my data collection. Both Vickie and Celeste were wonderful throughout my research process, helping me to observe classes and arrange student interviews at the schools. I greatly appreciate all the suggestions, insights and comments of my committee members. Thank you to all of them: Dr. Kuttruff, my external committee member, for her interest in following the steps of my dissertation; Dr. Magill, for bringing a very challenging and valuable perspective to my research; Dr. Lee, for her deep knowledge and expertise in the field of physical education; and Dr. Harrison, for his mentoring and expertise on issues of race and physical activity. Dr. Harrison, I have greatly appreciated, valued, and enjoyed all of our conversations (and in four years there were many) and sharing experiences on this topic. I want to thank my minor professor, Dr. MunroHendry, for guiding me to understand the complex world of the “Curriculum Theory Project,”...
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...Research Proposal Provisional title- Social media and the hidden spaces of online identity management Topic: Social Networking and Interaction This project is concerned with computer mediated communication (CMC) between individuals via the social networking platform, Facebook. Created by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, Facebook is a social networking forum wherein individuals can share photographs, personal information, conversations and friends (Buckman, 2005). Although other online sites such as MySpace, Friendster and Bebo are also designed to carry out such functions, Facebook is generally considered to be the leading site of its kind, currently consisting of over a billion users worldwide (Facebook, 2013). Facebook has increasingly become deeply integrated into user’s daily routines (Debatin, 2009). Indeed, a recent study found that students spend an average of 38 minutes a day ‘Face-booking’ (Muise et al, 2009). This equates to almost 9 days every year being dedicated to communication activities via the medium. With the internet increasingly being accessed via mobile devices, anytime, anyplace, it is likely that this figure will increase over time. With these ideas in mind, it is interesting to consider sites such as Facebook as capable of revealing important information about how young adults interact with one another in the information age. Platform functions such as wall posts, comments, statuses, private messages and so on provide a vast space for a number...
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...The media Anne O’Keeffe Historical overview of media discourse ‘The media’ is a very broad term, encompassing print and broadcast genres, that is anything from newspaper to chat show and, latterly, much more besides, as new media emerge in line with technological leaps. The study of ‘the media’ comes under the remit of media studies from perspectives such as their production and consumption, as well as their aesthetic form. The academic area of media studies cuts across a number of disciplines including communication, sociology, political science, cultural studies, philosophy and rhetoric, to name but a handful. Meanwhile, the object of study, ‘the media’, is an ever-changing and ever-growing entity. The study of ‘the media’ also comes under the radar of applied linguistics because at the core of these media is language, communication and the making of meaning, which is obviously of great interest to linguists. As Fairclough (1995a: 2) points out, the substantively linguistic and discoursal nature of the power of the media is a strong argument for analysing the mass media linguistically. Central to the connection between media studies and studies of the language used in the media (media discourse studies) is the importance placed on ideology. A major force behind the study of ideology in the media is Stuart Hall (see, for example, Hall 1973, 1977, 1980, 1982). Hall (1982), in his influential paper, notes that the study of media (or ‘mass communication’) has had...
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