Understanding Discourse Analysis

Discourse analysis is a useful research tool for understanding how people communicate and is employed within a range of disciplines. In this seminar I explore what discourse analysis is and outline four key approaches to analysing discourse: Corpus Approaches to Discourse Analysis, Conversation Analysis, Interactional Sociolinguistics and Critical Discourse Studies. All are grounded in social constructionist theory: as we communicate we construct the social world. However, examples from research around the world demonstrate how the choice of which approach to use is not simply a case of randomly picking one. These approaches prioritise different types of data, typically utilise different analytical tools and techniques, as well as exploring varying issues and answering different questions. Each approach provides a unique lens with which to examine discourse and all generate useful insights about how we communicate.

This research survey draws on my new textbook, and we invite you to help celebrate the publication of this book: Understanding Discourse Analysis (Routledge, 2023).