Bài giảng Tiếng Anh - Discourse analysis 3 - Trương Văn Ánh

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1. DISCOURSE ANALYSIS Mr. Trương Văn Ánh 1
2. Conjunction Conjunction differs from reference, substitution and ellipsis in that it is not a device for reminding the reader of previously mentioned entities, actions and states of affairs. In other words, it is not what linguists call an anaphoric relation. However, it is a cohesive device because it signals relationships that can only fully be understood through reference to other parts of the text. 2
3. There are four different types of conjunction – temporality, causality, addition and adversity. Adversative Ex: She is often late. However, she gets good marks. I like music. On the other hand, I can’t listen to it if I am busy. 3
4. The relationships signalled by however and on the other hand are adversative. Additive Ex: He likes music. And he often goes to the concert. And signals the presentation of additional information. Temporal Ex: They sell cakes every day. First, they buy material. Then they make cakes. 4
5. Temporal relationships exist when the events in a text are related in terms of the timing of their occurrence. Causal Ex: He was punished because he was lazy. In this type of conjunction, the relationship is one of cause and consequence. The cohesive devices make the relationship explicit. Ex: a. Mary went home. She cooked dinner. b. Mary went home. Then she cooked dinner. 5
6. There is a temporal relationship in both the two texts, but this is only explicitly marked in the second text. 6
7. There are more than forty conjunctive items. However, a few are extremely frequent: and, but, so and then. The conjunction AND, for example, may have additive, adversative, causal and temporal meanings, depending on contextual information: Ex: She’s intelligent. And she’s very reliable. (additive) I’ve lived here for ten years and I’ve never heard of that pub. (adversative: but could substitute) 7
8. • He fell in the river and caught a chill. (causal) • I got up and made my breakfast. (temporal sequense) 8
9. Lexical Cohesion Lexical cohesion occurs when two words in a text are semantically related in some way – in other words, they are related in terms of their meaning. There are two major categories of lexical cohesion: reiteration and collocation. 9
10. Reiteration Reiteration includes repetition, synonym or near synonym, superordinate, and general word. Reiteration thus fulfills a similar semantic function to cohesive reference. The second underlined word or phrase in each of the texts refers back to the previously mentioned entity. Repetition Ex: Universities are in need of students. The most important factor is students. 10
11. Synonym Ex: He plays ping-pong. Table-tennis is his hobby. Superordinate Ex: Cancer killed his father. The illness was cruel to everybody. General word Ex: A: Did you try the steamed buns? B: Yes, I didn’t like the things much. 11
12. Collocation Collocation can cause major problems for discourse analysis because it includes all those items in a text that are semantically related. In each context words or phrases may mean differently. For example, “drive” in transport means differently from one in IT. On the other hand, different words or phrases may mean the same in specific context. 12
13. Ex: He teaches a strange student. The guy often comes at the end of the lesson. Sometimes the background knowledge of the reader or listener plays a more obvious role in the perception of lexical relationships than in the perception of other types of cohesion. Ex: She is a Thi No in our class. While teaching children, we should use explicit instruction so that they can benefit the most. 13
14. Information structure There are many ways in which information is organized within and beyond the sentence. The ways are affected by the pattern of the sentences within the text as a whole. Students may easily understand simple sentences. Complex sentences (with finite clauses) with non-finite clauses may be too difficult for them. 14
15. In a sentence S, V, C and O are obligatory elements while Adv. and Attr. are optional. Ex: She had a fine dress yesterday. Jack will buy a car tomorrow. Mary can play the piano very well. They are having a delicious meal tonight. 16
16. THE END 17