Discourse Analysis by Sir Sohail Ansari file 1

discourse analysis is not so much a grammatical analysis but rather looking for linguistic signifiers (subjects (human participants and grammatical subjects) and objects, see Kress and van Leeuwen) that tell us something about the social relationships. As such (and remembering that most of my students are not native English speakers, most are Chinese people), it is quite easy to conduct a discourse analysis of text in a language where more grammatical things like syntax and correct verb usage are less confident.

 For example, in these sentences I've just written we have :

 Participants: your, subjects (i.e. human subjects), participants, Kress, van Leeuwen, us, my students, native English speakers, Chinese people

Grammatical Subjects: discourse, social relationships, syntax,

Objects: definition, analysis,  linguistic signifiers, objects, something, text, a language, grammatical things, verb

 Thus what we see is that the discourse positions individuals (you and I) within a social and linguistic context where the objects of concern are primarily ones of language but the focus for analysis is how discourse connects language with society.

 I hope that helps with that side.

 By emphasising that discourse is about the social (and Foucault would say the political, especially power) students should be able to analyse writings via a content analysis from which they can extrapolate the political communication. However, I know what you mean about there being this suspicion that it's quite a descriptive technique on the surface. To my mind the critical analysis of the arguments is key in turning the linguistic work from pure description into analysis, though. In a sense, discourse analysis can help deconstruct rhetoric stylistically and highlight unexpected content. I've recently been doing a discourse analysis of an American digital televangelist's daily devotional app with a colleague and looking at the participants, subjects and objects really helped me to see beyond the surface rhetoric and measure the preacher's key emphases and concerns in a quite tangible way, so I'd encourage you to push ahead on it, just ensure in the teaching that you have the students work through examples with you (which is what I do) before doing it for themselves.

      

All best wishes and a belated Happy New Year!

Discourse Analysis-

‘Discourse Analysis •  Discourse Analysis - a study of the way versions or the world, society, events and psyche are produced in the use of language and discourse. The Foucauldian version is concerned with the construction of subjects within various forms of knowledge/power. Semiotics, deconstruction and narrative analysis are forms of discourse analysis.Reference: Discourse and Text: Linguistic and Intertextual Analysis within Discourse Analysis, N Fairclough Discourse & Society (1992) Volume: 3, Issue: 2, Publisher: Sage Publications, Pages: 193-217

We start our second class of discourse analysis with the lecture that explains the following extract:

What is the difference between semiotics and semantics?

Semantics is a related term of semiotics. Semiotics is a related term of semantics. As nouns the difference between semiotics and semantics  is that semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, especially as means of language or communication while semantics is {{context|linguistics|lang=en}} a branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words.

semiotics English {{was wotd|2007|September|11}} (wikipedia) Noun (-) ·  The study of signs and symbols, especially as means of language or communication. Derived terms * anthroposemiotics * biosemiotics * sociological semiotics * sociosemiotics * zoosemiotics Related terms * seme * sememe * semantic * semantics * semasiology * sematic * sematology * semiotic See also * (l) * (l) External links * {{R:Webster 1913}} * {{R:Century 1911}} * {{R:OneLook}} Anagrams * [[societism ·English|societism]]

semantics English (wikipedia) Noun (-) ·  {{context|linguistics|lang=en}} A branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words. Semantics is a foundation of lexicography. ·  The study of the relationship between words and their meanings. ·  * 2006 , Patrick Blackburn, Johan Bos, and Kristina Striegnitz,[http://www.learnprolognow.org/lpnpage.php?pagetype=html&pageid=lpn-htmlse32 Learn Prolog Now!] , section 8.1: In fact, nowadays a lot is known about the semantics of natural languages, and it is surprisingly easy to build semantic representations which partially capture the meaning of sentences or even entire discourses. ·  The individual meanings of words, as opposed to the overall meaning of a passage. The semantics of the terms used are debatable. The semantics of a single preposition is a dissertation in itself. Etymology :"science of meaning in language," :1893, fromFr. sémantique (1883); :Replaced semasiology (1847), from Ger. Semasiologie (1829), :fromGk. semasia "signification, meaning." Derived terms * algebraic semantics * axiomatic semantics * computational semantics * denotational semantics * formal semantics * lexical semantics * mathematical semantics * operational semantics * statistical semantics Related terms * seme * sememe * semantic * semasiology * sematic * sematology * semiotic * semiotics See also *

In discourse analysis we go for explaining sign and symbols (semiotics); we do not teach the relationship between words and their meanings (semantics)

We explain ‘Linguistic signifiers’ as follow:

1. One that signifies.

2. Linguistics A linguistic unit or pattern, such as a succession of speech sounds, written symbols, or gestures, that conveys meaning; a linguistic  sign.The signifier of the concept "tree" is, in English, the string of speech sounds(t), (r), and (ē); in German, (b), (ou), and (m).

If we take a linguistic example, the word 'Open' (when it is invested with meaning by someone who encounters it on a shop doorway) is a sign consisting of: a signifier: the word open; a signified concept: that the shop is open for business.