An Introduction to Discourse Analysis (Applied Linguistics and Language Study)

115 Pages·1985·27.89 MB·English

by  Malcolm Coulthard

JNO eR Jt Gunman an

Sse Spa

An Introduction to
Discourse Analysis
New edition.

Malcolm Coulthard —
Pears Rance
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(© Longe Group UR Finite 197, 1985

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Contents

Prefice

Aus preface

1 icoducion
2 Speech acts and conversational mavins
3-‘The ethnography of speaking

4 Convection anabsis

5 Iotanation

6 A kings appro

2 Diners: araticand Engage tea
8 The aeuiion of discourse

9 The anusi of era cscourse

urher scading
ibtogranhy
adex
Preface

From the sesponse rotrvel 1 the Gest ediion of Malcom: Cex
asd’ pionecting tn Tetras on Dauvare Anas is clear that
Gur hope that it wold “ys scours aualsis on ae map’ bas been
Spl tlle, ‘Tne referenos nthe eek in Ze linguist Sneesure
‘Rotld be evidewee cron to this were uot als for the comober
{hive impact ithes mace on a ange of appterons: language sachin
nd seqvision, eylntin, reading and writing stuies, spec
Dathologe end man others Tr would no: Be an eSaRRrasN 9 ay

ffs eve wom asa Key work of eference fur mony tet bs

‘wat

‘Why then 2 seonid ion? Principally, bocrose if you the
bread view it taking conncetons bern language) fim snd
Tanguage uss aging gether #5 Coultars ropri'e work
from a range of dices Tingities, socal aTiopelog, phos-
phy, peste, there is inert the seeder ight gears 1a
review fudgerieats and 0 bring 1-2 mew yncration of studs and
Sholarysorething ofthe exeiterent of mere recent rscarch. ‘The
“hne-bomB? of rasaning,rfere i the Fx eon, as loa since
syle and its ect on the macronress of caer models of Lng
ties tus een fandamental, Taking the wider Locus is now e-w2y of
Tie. New that ths development has heen unprobiemase here renin
the isues of descripion ana svalss in disrusse and pragmatics ¢0
‘lish much of tae Brst einen was dedicated. What his changed is
2 gseral percep in the bold Etegration of difzent discplincs,
fubjoct 2 mseeiiag pebniples of deserpese and. expansion)
fdeqanc, offers the men! promising avenues for atack.

Tel be gatitos to Is ere the adios ard deletions, he
changes in organza srtate which pracace withthe book has
‘Getaed: perhaps mst noteworthy among these, however, are dhe
lente new Chapter 5 un datmatin and Chapser 6.4 Linas
preci bic ing update the bigs inventors a the
{uthos and he colleagues at the Univer of Biineam. A
Scsone af the book have, however, boon revised, and where
wit Prise

ncessary ad apprepriie; made eurten: al mare clear its
icted. Ax and tn the reser, aowever, ie-nay be saab to
Provide 4 summary view of curren estions on the sndhss ef
scouts «way in uo the richness af the relerencejmnided ere
Any approach wn discourw analysis and praia, presume
tw represent two distinguishable ut elated nce ors the
DUS af fis abject, namely the charsceistnn of speaierites
ing and ins elation the contest of use. Ou the ane ane,
none rerathesealh, discourse arse mast parma te strate
Supeasentetial ex soil rensatom by mpesing som farimors
nthe data, expicils or apts. On the other and, nate
hemeneetcal, discourse acs shen oer us a charts
Gt haw, in the context of negotatn, artcpants 22 about the
ces of interpreting caning (whether this ie sxioesl ax im
fansreatioy or non reciprocal as iv evading ot wring need ay
desis eee slice that te process interactive
Te thelr stuetare-porasing nse seurse amis and ex,
Tings hse moc i common, asin Get does tae etnozraphy oF
sesking, concerned asi ie wit the Wy of soquecced ees
in yume a) encounce. Int neaprettion characterizing
the other hanc discourse amass iwved im the eset
the couramieaive enction of momentary assages diene upon
eneral and specie ackground snovlege inthe process of akan,
lnderence The objet ofthe Rest ppe of disuse avis the
Aetermination of nteractine aes, si the with some lager i=
clonal Tune ae otjecrec of the secoad tye Wise aa,
fon tke ochor band, niore the capturing of Tkwritonay tee
ddsveng yon acseral prapmate pone, an seuensting
‘contesul xpectaions inthe sets pe under desi, toe
with knowledge ow infirmaton may easel be srt and
predres of mal el A his a ath dps
So fer, thee, we a
says one eoncesned wth sequent reltionstips, she cies th
fone working for "ale” which wil cantare gener
sat itesemial srunite wherein the ante wl"
Cth uierances i i a sease taken Fr granted the oer working
for ‘proseires" where “uneton”o# ies not product Beal
diate enderstancing ofthe ueranec ny peste, outa mater
of megocasve prosess among a vais of comtersel Ttors all of
hich takes tazether lead 9 he estbisorns (or the revel
at spec

tsa relationships becween che nterlocuons, chenschics of

Prfice ix

course, powesfal sources of eve t oeaioary value Rather than
Providing ries to sesvant for elaeesio beresn produc ac
fers, inthis scum! view proceduees are inradaced for che racing
ofthe regotatve roses. One aypraci ro discourse analysis thus
‘raphescing ergniaton and maging, the other emai sci
teliderships ond ran,

“Llre, been, isthe pura it
and the interscive (he strata andthe procedurc} each
the other and cannot eas 2 abetacted from cat other i ane
ecive sty of He divuse proces, and or vo reasons. Freshy
follovin stacey: conversational anaes {amply dacemented by
‘Mall Coola i Chprer , diseousal ‘piace’ proves an
‘onentaion for pariepant in their cvshaaon of Mlocationary Free
‘Seooncly, ting such an ntegated View enables us to see lemage
Foon as the suuface realiztom of those careicaie sees
Jnr theineractiv procedures werk aromas thse sarans
‘oval onstenual ane epistemolezal factors we fave iif as
‘racial othe joes ef communicative inference and coberene. An
fcxmiple of such an intgzaed view evs i the wk a Brows and
Tesi (M78) where sustegies of message constuction area key
Teeus fa understanding of se iverennmection bees discourse
Strccure and seal structure. Their states a fee redress, for

stor between commmuricaise intent and the
[Sreurstaness or socal elatiogshigs budding betwen the ieee
ts, This vs these strategies thatthe degree of modification atthe
Siopact of communicative intent on lie addvessce is regotated
Setwsun the fateazons themselves al he ail elaonshins raced
‘hen in he appcopraely cape fa.

Te wonldacat, then, a this bok makes ably leas, theebarae
terenion of umerance fanetiom came Rest to the tender mercies
i Hinge fort, Mow then, cam we map asin uteranee
Following the suggessons ouline! in Coulthard Iuodacon, We
fan ar ta range of resources, all of whic, We must ackrewede,
ae to be hedged ston bythe ratural processes of cetestal nes
Tato, panicipante’ iso ard matoraed ideologies which makes
tay idesifeation and Lsbeling ery difealt. We ean marshal our
Knoledge of speech exerts, themes af enurse cuturly-specii
fonstucts, and apply to ther GI we are aware f therm as ase
the spect inferencng procedures relative ro the exons in question,
using our Famicooré of rspectatins about the nature ofthe sp
fens to which they cour, We can mske ese af oar kro
ff sicial role whichis ell 2 negable "good, iFone kes 0

fvanple, at asa
Pfr

sew of cus: Huston me cm aah ou enuning of
the sims neaching to vadous pragmatic pinciles 4 ome vith
sare the phceriea ofthe utranes im qvesson ia the ofen quite
lena, sometimes discontinuous and ers ro emp paras
of enmerstional sructurs One eau go on the paint that
ve ate dealing wih an sumeasely comple ire pens tht
sakes ust, 9s this boo ansply sts, of inferno su ins
he qe
ded to ake judgemenss of val, if we ill inthe tes
esuppasin, if e fe
teraneesn the conteat of spec event we fall tks
the canton hewern the formations of cious and the forma
vions of sein dea we wl take a to snp sk othe sbjoct-
rmatir of this tok. What is more, if we dy not review uu
tetieablogis and the reasons way we tnnderike the seseweh
then we shall meter hase aes tvaceguse dla have any socal
Swartan’ for dee eaiectem ov di anal
In eaphcily aekowledying Maton Coulthard’ conoton co
an asazcnes of the eavens prose iere, J san do ro better thas
fepeat the final appreciation of Tie first etn “he cui rater
fas been ta hase nern the connectoas stuns dscpinescancornes
‘with descabieg and explaining husnn coramunicaton ad te re
suggested anthesis,

eve do wot ake thi nto ace
oftes

(Christer N. Can Laweuter
Generst itor ross

Author’s preface

Ie some ways ies more ifficu to rewrite ham a ete —a second
flidon is ncceserly avin bythe frst T have ted to ein
the imitation and as ruc a posse of the coment of the fs
ellen ae tus, wth the excquioa of Caspers § and shi have
bre tly vewsten, most of the new rte occurs in te second

hes of apes
“The fntentn ead the book rere the same — co ites

those inert in the anahsie of wera! fteaction to relevant 12
sarah ins varies) of elds, This ofcourse rzans that few of those
‘rnose werk in pressed bere would regard themseles 4s Discourse
‘Anas and tha for peIposes of prevetation Ly have Finke
topeter research in vite they and thee followers feel we way
Jpapprspriae ways. The pre exengle is Labo, ilint Put une
Chssfitl, who bas worked #9 2 whole Sores of reas in the

‘avin He appares with Fibnographers of Commision and Con
Terstional Mnaists I uve feted this, but ne appears with

Shrech Ast Pilsophers!

"Tentbeeks canst le nite ina sac mus ofthe cisions and
sakdizons ave mel ou: hora teaching escouse Analysis to may
Frou of studens sey sno nemennss toe wares, Leis kowever,
Possible and appropriate t acknowiede my debe wo Dave Wiis and
Rov Hylan, whe tises Vsupeniset art fen whom and hich |
Tearned more tha hsp wil ever bebeve. Za fiaat pace beeaure he
Ks is ral sigiicance, Mike Hoc, simulating colleague nd
true fend, without whom both coment and form would Rave Seen
rmowe awed.

Birmnghan
Aga 1883
1 Introduction

Alnoug cis now many years snc J. ith aed Hits sad
CGamctstion fo ther we shall nd the hey to beter understanding
ft has lengoage i xd hon works (1933), Se sexi sta
Turse \sanly fas Penning and cacy much of the

erika bv linens bu by soviologss, ante
alos and phiosners Ue explensivy inet hard fd Wie
SAD nguists wouk sce tha: her eomrcacation ust be described
in terms of at eat thee Ise —resing, fr and substan,
tdvoure,lin-pramvar and pool — Chere ae isareemens Oe:
the bandas of Hagen

Tints (1951) asses thatthe main eoneees of descripvs ings
sigs § lo ake surercente of meaning” Part ofthe meaning of =
{erences the rsult of cantata nthe level f tone aml sya
Sn! Fink acepted het m onder bole meaning ores i
these levels re une regu ae oF nonsense in phonetics al ra
ine Int, he argue, lnginge i fendaentaly a way ef belong,
Tv ming eers chav’ snd therefoe uate the Hg rms
Sircers Bnwell with the “verbal prance inthe conte of stata
For Fr language ws oni meting sf comet of ston ie
sed thu the descrip process aust hegia with se election
ff se of contextually defined bomogeaeous texas and te ain of
tlestiption i explain how Hh: senses oF weranes ae Sa
inti their contexts

"Fh unsettle act explore the slain be
meaning and bis exkoratons‘ ahers ave [zored, beenist lecni=
Tr Ted linguistics anay frm iy consideration of mearig 9 a <00-
ceaacen on form an! sistance, by observing thal Tnguss “canon.
{etine meanings bot muse appeal fr hs talents uf mor sciences
dr to common kretedge” (1983). "The emerace Ta sg coal
The used by a starving boppar to request ‘ond or By a petulant child
te day going a bed: Plowook azacd that Hgts oy
eed ith those phomolgecl, level and syria Teatues which
ihe erences sists“ he felt fe was wo concer» of Raguistes t0

en forma
2dr 0 Desa dnass

tuseranes can have diffrent functions in i
hank scners carci deo the ited

Tora gonerin Ansrcnfguics comer mes
tighy succesful on problems kis Shenae aed merle?
Tea the eakence of he plewcine andi ality of ungee plo™
seme desipdons, ox dscovery peecdurcs fir lng phorenes
slopes gigs mt pron deers ote che
ince ication of urpheme, boundanes 2nd werd ea
‘When Chaney rece gli vai si ence
sinc the concerns were tl pre-eminenty wah the fal
tars of lmguege: the indecent Hage arabs a
$ingvge eo separt the reat sequences whch ae so
‘ences ofthe ranma argues ih ent ener
tT ec ese fhe pommel eguene 1987)
1m puny the Independence of retrial on eases

rotuced the mow fae eample eens a agus
Mes clues ren dea seg fins

Yale Bgi, while conceating en foal pesto Wega,
tad tsod econ of speck or wring a3 once of cumple:
Choy Sigel an may wun Exper usc ask
seta couteprodutne, Nu cnn, Aowenr lg, can Be a
{quate becuse wl econ mpl fal post nares
‘nd wil acu contain bing, pooner, cased
by sch pari indent Conve peer dada
Enarcterit napping hoe othe gun ata er
fens’ The pte ec si ty, Chor red
inthe underng Eno th nt tthe el spencers
tenrer. The undying competes ce sun al te speakers
zu het ane tte on ee aa
nal be ings Hoel, wo press y farogecton checking
‘potential sentences fer geammaticalty against his inition.

“The insights echeed ty trsormatia rarraiane wer nee-
snout ped ie problems boars nore eo Became
evident tat there ws aot fc 2 iva te sesh corns
Perens I heame meen, to ak of dgrce of fratmatiaiy ot
Seeepiiny eral examples were atiaced as gaat td
tended a “seeplabie mn my Meet” Mest he tncbomb
seul ating nn he Ite 190s Ro MeCanky on
{Gln began ann tat wee emt fn ft debe rama
Son rm sing. ht power atc masa ae

Furoduaion 3

achive hy making level inerions at an early stage in che gener
tion ofa sentence, By 1972 Robin Lake ws angen that“ order
te predic: corer the apliay of many rues one srs beable

Feler te assumptions about the social contest of am riterancy, as
tell as to other sist assuragons made by the picts ia 2
Uiscoune’ Thus te ress oF amp nestqaten have irl

nny saneorratioal igus oroeegrze the imporane of ener:
Wo tana seves of dicpines converging on the stu of stated
spec

Theve is a ys, eves single dscipine whic cencemns itself
svi She sul teraction in writing an introduction te discourse
Uiniyss Caan oct, paradoncal describ ny the work of eseech
frei conics therasebesdccoorse anchsts— many of those men
tino here would be bemssed or annoyed by the abel, Rather, what
hve rod to da ra gee in Zh fst bc copes researc
fiom many dscipkines — plone, pychalegy, sociaigy, sain
ust, conversational snl, aatiropoosy. echography af speake
fn, phonetic ad ngeistice — which i sol to aprons interested
inshe anahss ef ssaied speech or ston diane Labels
siitecl,L have chosen to manna dsnction between spoken de
‘Sse ad wren fn a cl 39 9 means avery 2p

tole Hoey (1983) and Widdowson (i
To writing nd to complsate raters fanker“pragrtats” as defined
by Lech (1983) snd esnsna (0983) overlaps stall wil dis
course ana a8 Teonecve i

Barly attempts at discourse analysis

\ithouss Pic ergo! Hingis to say the tonal verb process ts
‘seat of skaston ke didnot do ao biel, choosing rather Yo eon

‘erate cm phonology. Tw the period upto te Ite 60s there were
Sob vo saat attempt 0 sly supeacetenial structure, one By
Hiri (1950, the oer by Mitchell 1957),

Harris's artle, sltough i bas te promiking Wile “Dissoase
Analysis ein far Shaping, Wouking within the Borin
teadion he sets ont to price fora! method “Ter the ena of
Connected speech or wry” whieh “doesnot depen or he analy"s
Tnowledge ofthe prticuar caning of ach momen’ Hechserves
thar in grammar i poole co ot up ard clases dsrbutonal
and produce 3 class of adecties Ashish oscer before a class of
fowis Ni sul a statement capcues = pomerfal gencelzatien, even
4 An rt w Dssre Aas

tough it is posible to show tha parlor meer of ihe es
‘olny may never ccna lores prieaa wenier of the elas
IN sustigtion

ares sngasts that x dbirnsiondl analys can he successfully
applies toa whole text 1 Gover eictting aber the rank of Sen
tence As av comple be create a txt eumlaining the ollowing eur

“Te ices turn ee ant Ue mid f autre.

‘The Uses ta bes Sat hee a Ost

‘The Got Gea coups athe sale vaso,

Wesan astng afi he ond of Ocak
‘he ion of he analysis i wo slat uns of text which are dst
busoeallyequiaiem though noc neces similar fa mscaning: that
is egutalewes which have validity for that tut alone. oan he hut
two sentooes abore ore eshlishes the equaence of the miele
ff acturaa” and "the end of October. not because they are slain
reaming but becaws they skare an idetal erviconment “the Tees
turn hete'. The nest step isco carryover the equtlences derived
from che fret rao senenees into che ew tw an thie allows us to
uate ine st rst come’ ithe start esting and of sourse Doth
fs he ere sir here which geld tae erga rorte Ts,
interms of equialerce cls: al four sentences hve identical struc”
tore, las X felled by clans Y. The anal progress inthis iy
brought tes ereatiry a chin of equates and aceasta,
se required, mtrosaama new clas onl she whole of the txt hit
ten died ine us aig 0 one or oer of de classes:

Haris pits out tha i eal bis appeech th
sqaestens ate “wheter the method is use
‘ald and inereting result. In the thirty years since the nie ws
Ppalshed as one has adapted or develed nis meth forthe ae
fs of scours, though fh ides of “eamfarvaton intake to
handles equivalence celaions, pecan, ina mwodied fo a contd
Feature in Chamys Generative Grammar. fray well he, oF ens,
thar any purely formal anabsis of sauce abexe che semenee
ingress

In marked conuast, Mickel’ “ning and scling in Cyrenio’
peesens = semantically motsted analy. Working in the Finbian
taadtien be species the elsantpancianss and elements of sitse
ation in deta and divides the tuving-sling process into sag pucly
fn conten tei, adauting chat tase isan abstract category and
the numbering of sages doce net neces mpl seqence i Si
He describes tree major categories af wansarian — market auctens,

Intruction

sar smut transactions; sp nasacions — although the seve
Sd tied are dstingtshed mately y siete Dee tl sha he
Talsing Eve stages

1 sahistion
2, enquiry 251 the objeto ale

3. inwesization of the objec of sale
1

urgaining
neiion

This sa ideal secures somtimes sages Fal 2 dn wo occur ad
sages 3 and § may be realized mecha. The following san ec
ale f a shop uinsactios:

Peco owe See
er: Hive yeu a ed we ae z
Sues Pe pene Set ie ihe pense 2

fem: Lovie be ook or co
Sorte Cera

yuan for sound Et mite yous section
cess Mow ct ie 2 oT
sos oT
Vee Whar your ke po? oT
‘rae Babes ta 57 te anne bt yu Td rT
ie Ii makeyu a e of £450, 3
sive Ten Plame tearm, pay 998 320 aad wie
Kiger eer thes spa is et)

scxoes Ist wane seme ras 5
While this anaes capes he snare of the wanscton it sa

quale that ota Rustic agai at ll — che sages are defre
fod recngnied by the activity that ests win them rater than 9
‘farses ise linguistic teases and, withthe posable exertion of
Stage 4 sbich when open! bythe haper spare begs wis he
Grol “How cach. there are lige manuers of trams
herween sages. However, ones hs sages have been ated 00~
inguiscaly Mitchell cho harass them lgiscay y prvi
‘ing esariples ofthe kings of phrases and lass en nie hich
coeur within them.

Discourse units and discourse funetion
a

stages must not be taken ta mpl that sen dsc onme hs wo sae
fare and consists sinpW ofa string of gravanataly well fortnad ue
teranees The felloning examples fre Labi (1970, the fest fra

fet hae Michell di ru offer any eral seuctane For Bis
6 An tarttion to Discus Anas

an imenew with ¢ schiapreme palent, the other bricated, are
‘zimimaticlly-onexceponal get neice od

1: What sy mu
‘Wat ey yor mig ave tough yd neg Fo

ve Pr ping We you Des,

1 fet ho tds

In both examples 3s contribution obviously hecabs eles forthe pr
Scion of enbetert discon, and one of the jor als of dscse
sli ib discver these nus ad co dove he comes]
ftrsctires they yencrte, Obsomsy an inal ard Sandal gues
Ti isthe tune of the units whose srucare ard sccurenes the
sequencing rules wil deserbe

avis (1952) ebsres a raitenlgrtamstial descr has
taken the sched os as apper Kimi, and is instroctve to discuss
the feasons foe hs. A geanmatieal decision provides she sma
tutes) of given uni i term of allowable combinations of smaller
ite and an estetal feature of any resvnatoal serpin iy the
specication not only of what svucrteseun occur hut alo of tose
Smctines srich cannot occur Thus a guavas aly wold
allow the lllowing sentences

tow ese chs ysted
Yesterday svg ee has
Hise hs In sone

Yesurday these ces st
‘These cuir awa yen
Tie kas ecru

saul a speaker's decison about wbich ofthe zosle gras op
tions aetna patcwiae vecanion sel then depen on cohesive
land epfirae sonsideatons, Once ne comes look et chcies above
the sentence, owes, Here ate ne parvlel rss on com
nations of units and all she decsices 4 speaker or weiter makes are
Slices — there i ao way af denon mmr sructare in
terms ofallowablecombiations of single, comples or crapound sen-
tenecs because any collection of seatence pes nary sevens eas
comectite 4 paragraph and rake” abou paragraph nina therefore
‘ake the form af asic about “pie sentenacalthe alternation of
leng and short serserees.

Iuotciin 7

tre of

Huoexse while appears dat stcme dese in
‘cml greminca writs ems at the sentence, we can explain the
[Laos earales im tem of patterning of fae units whieh ect
tainly docs occur above the sented across uterance houndates.
{athe follosing exrople ws moose mn deste nr ese conte
piste constrains om 5 wierance fo grarimatcal terms but in tunc-
Yial terms his options are bias restricted:

1 hei’ the pew
fo intieentesnt
2 el she soptase
Lage the cine
Thnk sin te pba

In other words, mhereas we casct pie a meaningful
deseipion uf 3 comercatiny ta tame of “dochratve alle Ty
choles clays’ “interngatve followed by declan, ci pos
thle to prnide © meningtul sractre ia terms of (uction an
Anower, Challenge ard Response, Insiatn und Acceptance. Ths
Lebo (1072s) argue hatte stand row portant ty to ds
tingarshF ati ad fora what i dace’ aa sees atthe unit oF
Srulmis i not the pramcanicaly GeGned vhsse or sentence But
fanetional wnt, which may of course Ze rl by a sng clase ot

"hr ater 2 characterize Cacourse suet i terms of fome=
tial ens snus cnaiont the probes of grammars realization
how do the four major aww pes, ‘éclaatve, Snvermystve
“imperative” soa ‘anodes aie a rene of dover furcters,
an how cam a hsarer corset interpret which Fanon is itended?

Takew (1970, 19724), aking as pen tha qusstimvansver is #
lsc imeractve store ces ian and sears ot 9 9
tics uf anegaic ne 0 eapain ow a second uteranve comes (0
bee heard aan mnewer to a question. The simplest reasons yp is
etwcen « question and an eligueal ans:

ss ze you got work mee
Bie

fre a simple rule can account fo the relate

Ie rere v quest ef the fina QS) rw weapon wth next
Enlai yma pay ng ce) Hh 7s heard as ae
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