Discourse analysis|| Critical Discourse analysis

Discourse analysis:

Discourse analysis is a critical term to understand for us. Before starting the actual topic, what is discourse analysis? I will try to clarify the difference between discourse and discourse analysis. So, what is discourse, and what is discourse analysis? That is the big question for all.

What is discourse? 

Discourse is how we talk and share ideas. It is a way in which we communicate, understand the message, and connect with people. It is having a conversation or writing something where we use words, phrases, and sentences to express our thoughts, opinions, ideas, and stories.

"In simple terms, discourse is a written or verbal communication between people that goes beyond the single sentence." Simply, we can say that it is not more than just a language. A language that we use commonly in everyday life.

For Example: 

You and your friends are talking about a favorite teacher. Each person shared their ideas and opinions about why I chose this teacher as a favorite. What you say and how you respond to each other is a form of discourse.

What is discourse analysis?

Everybody knows what analysis is. Analysis means examining something very closely. So, discourse analysis means examining the language very closely; it is about how to use it in a specific social context. Discourse analysis means analyzing the words and conversations that people use to talk, write, and communicate to understand their ideas, beliefs, and social structures.

"Discourse analysis is a technique used to inspect a language, how language is used, and how the words transfer their message in a social context or situation. It can be performed in both written and spoken form."

For Example:

You are watching a movie. Simply you put focus on the storyline and action that are performed in the movie by the characters. Discourse analysis emphasizes how the characters speak (tone), what words they choose, what they want to say, and the overall message of the movie.

Can you imagine why I put this image in here? 

Why do we do discourse analysis?

Discourse analysis plays a crucial role in identifying the relationship between language and broader social issues like language and gender, language and power, and language and inequity. It helps to uncover the hidden meaning, ideas, and patterns and reveal the truth. It helps to see what has gone beyond the words and sentences.

We can also use discourse analysis to find the patterns in which people interact with each other and how they convey their message to others in different situations and social contexts. It also helps to reveal the truth, undercover meaning, and describe how we shape the world through language.

We conduct discourse analysis on:

1. Speeches
2. Novels
3. Conversation
4. Advertisement
5. Newspapers
6. New Colum's

Types/approaches of discourse analysis:

Discourse analysis is divided into two main types: 

1. Micro-Level/Language in-use approaches
2. Macro-Level/Socio-political approaches

Micro-Level: Language in-use approaches

Micro-level discourse analysis focuses on examining small units of language and communication. It often involves lexical analysis, sentence structure analysis, phrase analysis, pragmatic analysis, and collocational analysis. grammatical analysis, metaphor analysis, and prosodic analysis. It helps to analyze the language on a small scale. Micro-level discourse analysis looks at the meaning of individuals and how they perform in social situations.

Macro-Level: socio-political approaches

Macro-level discourse analysis is a broader term in contrast to micro-level discourse analysis. It focuses on the overall structure of the language, such as the way it is organized into sentences and paragraphs. Macro-level discourse analysis has other subcategories, which are:

1-Critical Discourse analysis (CDA):

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is a method or type of discourse analysis that is used to analyze the hidden patterns of language that shape our thoughts, beliefs, and society. It helps to examine how language is used to maintain and construct power dynamics. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) primarily deals with language's role in constructing ideologies and power dynamics. It helps to find clues in the way people talk and write to understand who has the upper hand and what ideas they want us to believe. CDA helps us be aware of these hidden messages so we can see the bigger picture behind the words we encounter.

2-Conversational analysis (CA):

CA discourse analysis is a type of discourse analysis that focuses on how people talk to each other, what words they choose, and the patterns they follow. It helps to understand the style, tone, and mode of language. Conversation is based on moves, flow, tone, and style. CA discourse analysis helps understand these steps and moves and determine why some conversations are smooth and others are tricky.

3-Narrative analysis (NA):

Narrative analysis (NA) is a type or technique of discourse analysis that examines how language is used to tell a story. It helps to discover who the story's narrator is by analyzing the structure and style of the story. It also helps to investigate how language is used to construct and convey meaning precisely, to establish relationships, and to make sense of society or the world. It is often used to study how language is used in literary texts, books, articles, dramas, poems, and plays.

4-Interactional Sociolinguistics analysis (ISA):

Interactional sociolinguistics (IS) is a type or technique of discourse analysis that focuses on how language is used in social situations and interactions. It helps to understand how people use different language styles in different social interactions. It focuses on how language is used to construct identities, negotiate relationships, and make sense of the world. IS discourse analysis is used to investigate how language is used in social contexts and different situations.

Can you examine the picture and what is the actual meaning of this colored picture?

Conclusion:

Discourse analysis is a tool that we use for an overall analysis of the language. It is a powerful tool to reveal the hidden meaning and truth beyond the sentences. It is a way to investigate the narrator and writer of the text. Discourse analysis is a powerful tool for understanding communication or conversation. It also investigates the relationship between language and power dynamics and how language constructs and shapes ideologies.

Frequently asked questions

What is discourse analysis?

Discourse analysis is a technique used to inspect a language how language is used, and how the words transfer their message in a social context or situation.

What is Critical discourse analysis?

Critical Discourse analysis (CDA) is a method or type of discourse analysis that is used to analyze the hidden pattern of language that shapes our thoughts, beliefs, and society.

How many Types of discourse analysis?

There are just two main discourse analysis types: micro-level and macro-level.