Towards a pedagogically-relevant model of discourse analysis

Abstract

This Thesis reflects my efforts to build, up a theoret¬ ical framework for the analysis of discursive capacity. By discursive capacity is meant the various procedures used by competent readers for the interpretation of technical and scientific English discourse. A distinction is made between "rules" and "procedures". Among the rules that are consider¬ ed in the first part of the thesis are those relating to "grammatical", "textual", and "sociolingulstic" competences. These competences are associated with meanings referred to, respectively, as "literal", "situational", and "contextual" or "pragmatic". The sociolinguitic approach to discourse is surveyed and also, to some extent, criticised. In the second part of the thesis this approach iB modified by taking account of some notions discussed, particularly, by certain philosophers of language. These notions are related to discourse analysis; they included distinctions between, for instance; text and textualisation, process of interpretation and product of inter¬ pretation, the primary and secondary system of a discourse, statement and discourse-act. The theoretical discussion is interspersed with analyses of specimen texts. On the basis of the theoretical discussion there are put forward a number of propositions embodying certain pedagogic implications of the 'theory1. In the third part of the thesis these pedagogic implications are explained and illustrated. A number of exercise prototypes are then suggested.