This document discusses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). It begins by defining key terms like discourse, language, and the branches of linguistics. Discourse is described as consisting of sentences with cohesion and coherence. Language is defined as a symbol system that is arbitrary, complex, and constantly changing. CDA examines how language shapes social relations and power structures. The document outlines different definitions of discourse and the relationship between text, context, and meaning.

2. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Outline:
 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
 Discourse Analysis
 Language
 Fundamental Traits of Language
 Branches of Language

3. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
 What is Discourse?
 Foucault’s definition of Discourse
 Structural definition of discourse
 Functional definition of discourse
 Text, context, and discourse

4. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Discourse Analysis (DA)
Language
“Language is a symbol system based on pure or arbitrary
conventions…. Infinitely extendable and modifiable
according to the changing needs and conditions of the
speakers.” (Robins, 1985)

5. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
 “Language is a system of conventional spoken or
written symbols by means of which human beings, as
members of a social group participate in its culture
and communicate.” (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

6. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
 Fundamental Traits of Language
 Extremely Complex
 Creative
 Primarily Vocal
 Arbitrary
 Vertical
 Horizontal
 Systematic
 Means of communication

7. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
 Conventional
 Unique in its rules
 Displacement
 Continual change
 Duality
 Transmission

8. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
 Branches of Linguistics
 Phonetics
 Phonology
 Syntax
 Morphology
 Semantics
 Pragmatics

9. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
 Lexicography
 Sociolinguistics
 Psycholinguistics
 Computational linguistics
 Applied linguistics
 Stylistics
 Discourse analysis

10. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
What is “discourse”?
 Widdowson (1978) states: ‘discourse’ is made up of
sentences having the properties of cohesion &
coherence!
 Discourse analysis includes all, i.e., it investigates the
supra-sentential structure of any stretch of language,
spoken or written.

11. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Foucault’s definition
 a set of meanings, metaphors, representations, images,
stories, statements that produce a particular version of
events . . .
 using language which express institutionalised values and
ideology, delimiting and defining what can be said and
how: for example, sexist discourse, medical discourse, legal
discourse, etc. Three main categories noted above:
 (1) anything beyond the sentence,
 (2) language use, and
 (3) a broader range of social practice.

12. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Structural definition of discourse:
 Discourse is a particular unit of language (above the
sentence).
Functional definition of discourse:
 Discourse is a particular focus of language use.

13. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Text, context, and discourse
 AL takes text (the linguistic element in communication) as
essentially distinct from context (the non-linguistic elements)
and discourse as the two in interaction create meaning.
 Context includes such factors as:
 the situation or immediate environment of communication;
 the participants and their intentions, knowledge, beliefs,
attitudes, affiliations and feelings, as well as their roles, relations,
and status;
 the cultural and ideological norms and assumptions against
which a given communication occurs;

14. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Context
 language which precedes or follows that under analysis,
sometimes referred to as „co-text‟ (Halliday et al. 1964);
 other texts evoked for the participants and affecting their
interpretation – sometimes referred to as „intertext‟ (Kristeva
1986);
 non-linguistic meaningful communicative behaviour, i.e.
paralanguage, such as voice quality, gestures, and facial
expressions (in face-to-face spoken interaction), and choice of
typeface and letter sizes (in writing);
 use of other modes of communication accompanying the use of
language, such as music and pictures; the physical medium of
communication, such as speech, writing, print, telephone,
computer.

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