Presented by:Areta PuspaRizky AmeliaUlin Ni’mah

Discourse Analysis and Vocabulary

Roles of discourse-organizing words

3.6 Signalling larger textual patterns

Representing segments of text

Parceling up phrases and whole sentences

Signaling to the reader what larger textual patterns are being realized

Discourse-organizing words are particular vocabulary that tend

to cluster round certain elements of

text patterns.

TOP-DWON: Once learners are conscious of a larger text-pattern, they can be brought to an awareness of the rich vein of vocabulary.

BOTTOM-UP: Learners can bring together in their vocabulary records items that regularly occur in similar textual environments

Function of discourse-organizing words

Examples:Problem-solution

pattern

Claim-counterclaim

pattern

Doubt or uncertainty

pattern

concern

difficulty

dilemma

Drawback

hamper

hinder

obstacle

Problem

snag

change

etc.

claim

assert

state

truth

false

in fact

in reality

agreed

disputed

Consensus

etc.

according to

Apparently

appears

arguably

believes

claimed

Considered

could

estimated

Evidently

etc.

Functions: 1. to show how organizing words used to wrap round a long text.2. to signal what larger textual patterns are being realized3. to increase our awareness in realizing the pattern

TV Violence: No Simple Solution

There is no doubt that one of the major concerns of both viewers and broadcasters is the amount and nature of violence on our television screens.

The chief ‘lesson’ of all our viewing, reading and discussion is that there is no simple solution to the problem of violence on television.

TV Violence: No Simple Solution

There is no doubt that one of the major concerns of both viewers and broadcasters is the amount and nature of violence on our television screens.

The chief ‘lesson’ of all our viewing, reading and discussion is that there is no simple solution to the problem of violence on television.

3.7 Register and Signalling VocabularyRegister is one of linguistic features of the text that reflects the

social context in which it is produced.

the context, author’s assumptions, style, et.

Look at (3.17) and (3.18) page 83

Idioms are good to organize the discourse and to signal evaluation.

Idioms in problem-solution pattern:In a fix up a gum treeTo come up trumps to be up against a brick wallTo have a crack at does the trick

help students to tackle long texts.The importance of certain vocabulary items

3.8 Modality

Epistemic modalities

• Certainty and possibility

Root modalities

• Volition, permission and obligation

Carries important information about the stance and attitude of the sender

to the message.

Verbs adverbs

Appear

Assume

Doubt

Guess

Look as if

Suggest

Think

Actually

Certainly

Inevitably

Obviously

possibly

Modality is fundamental in the creation of discourse.

“The cat sat on the mat”.

“I suppose it’s possible the cat just may have sat on the mat”.

Reader Activity 7 page 86

Conclusion:

1. The study of vocabulary in discourse is concerned with patterns in text generated by the vocabulary relations that are found over clause and sentence boundaries, the role of certain words in organizing discourses and signaling their structure and the relationship between the features of textuality and the register of the end product.

2. This helps us to motivate for the construction of word lists to supplement the traditional semantic-field orientation. Moreover, students can be encouraged to collect items along discourse-functional lines.

Reference:

McCarthy, M. 1991. Discourse Analysis for Language

Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.