230040 Introduction to Discourse Analysis (S) (WiSe 2012/2013)

Introduction to Discourse Analysis
From the intricacies of meaning of interjections like “oh” in everyday talk via the unspoken rules of telephone conversations to covert racism and sexism in news and magazine articles, discourse analysis offers ways of looking closely at the ways and purposes of communication; it is a way of paying attention to details we often overlook or take for granted; it is a way of uncovering and making explicit inequalities and hidden agendas. As such, discourse analysis will fascinate anyone who is interested in how and why people use language and in the relationship between language and society.
This course introduces students to the theorisation, analysis and interpretation of spoken and written discourse by looking at various approaches to discourse analysis. We will investigate discourse as social action: how we organise talk and text, how people negotiate identities and relationships in and through language, and how language constructs, reproduces and challenges societal structures, norms and beliefs.
By exploring interactional, ideological, practical and representational aspects of discourse through discussions and practical sessions, students will
- develop a critical awareness of the social nature of language use
- develop a critical awareness of a range of approaches to discourse analysis and their intellectual roots
- develop the ability to interpret spoken and written texts by drawing on discourse-analytic tools.