An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method

by James Paul Gee

Overview

Discourse analysis considers how language, both spoken and written, enacts social and cultural perspectives and identities. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, An Introduction to Discourse Analysis examines the field and presents James Paul Gee’s unique integrated approach which incorporates both a theory of language-in-use and a method of research.

An Introduction to Discourse Analysis can be used as a stand-alone textbook or ideally used in conjunction with the practical companion title How to do Discourse Analysis: A Toolkit. Together they provide the complete resource for students studying discourse analysis.

Updated throughout, the fourth edition of this seminal textbook also includes two new chapters: ‘What is Discourse?’ to further understanding of the topic, as well as a new concluding section. A new companion website www.routledge.com/cw/gee features a frequently asked questions section, additional tasks to support understanding, a glossary and free access to journal articles by James Paul Gee.

Clearly structured and written in a highly accessible style, An Introduction to Discourse Analysis includes perspectives from a variety of approaches and disciplines, including applied linguistics, education, psychology, anthropology and communication to help students and scholars from a range of backgrounds to formulate their own views on discourse and engage in their own discourse analysis.

This is an essential textbook for all advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of discourse analysis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317820574
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/03/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	248
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

James Paul Gee is Mary Lou Fulton Presidential Professor of Literacy Studies at Arizona State University, USA. He is author of a number of books, including How to Do Discourse Analysis, second edition, Language and Learning in the Digital Age and is co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of Discourse Analysis.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. What is Discourse Analysis 3. Building Tasks 4. Tools of Inquiry and Discourses 5. Social Languages, Conversations and Intertextuality 6. Form-Function Correlations, Situated Meanings, and Figured Worlds 7. Figured Worlds 8. Context 9. Discourse Analysis 10. Processing and Organizing Language 11. Sample of Discourse Analysis 1 12. Sample of Discourse Analysis 2 13. Sample of Discourse Analysis 3 Chapter 14. Conclusion: Proactive Design

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

'This useful book provides an extensive set of tools for systematically analyzing language use. The book reflects Gee’s broad and deep grasp of relevant fields, drawing on insights not only about the social life of language but also about social theories of late capitalism, contemporary accounts of culture and sociocentric approaches to the mind. Earlier editions have proven their usefulness to both beginning and advanced students, and this new edition contains the useful original material together with nice additions like more extensive sample analyses and a primer on analyzing multimodal texts.' Stanton Wortham, University of Pennsylvania, USA

'Since it was first published in 1999, Gee’s Introduction to Discourse Analysis has become a classic in the field. Written in a refreshing and high accessible style and full of interesting, contemporary examples, this book is useful not just for beginners seeking to understand the personal, practical and political implications of how we use language to communicate, but also for seasoned scholars seeking new ideas and inspiration. This new edition is substantially revised and reorganized, making it even more user-friendly, and includes a wealth of new, up-to-date examples and theoretical material, including material on images and multimodal texts.' Rodney Jones, City University of Hong Kong

'Wonderful entrance point, engaging, well-grounded in the literature, and full of analytical insights, this book offers helpful, interesting, and practical examples across different aspects of discourse analysis. Gee’s accessible and engaging writing style and his openness to difference encourages scholars to begin or continue exploring the ways in which discourses operate as practices and activities in the world. This book stimulates various analytical, theoretical, and conceptual conversations among students, researchers, and practitioners.' Mirka Koro-Ljungberg, University of Florida, USA

Editorial Reviews

'The main strengths of How to Do Discourse Analysis and An Introduction to Discourse Analysis lie in the clear, engaging style that makes complicated concepts accessible through the use of metaphor, and the abundance of examples. I would recommend everyone who teaches discourse analysis to have these two books in their inventory, if not as main course books, then for selective use as a collection of readings and exercises.’

Daria Dayter, Tampere University, Finland

“This revised edition stands out as a valuable resource that will significantly enhance the learning experience for both students and instructors in the field of discourse analysis. To me, Gee’s book is the best on the market.”

Teresa Bell, Brigham Young University, USA

 

 "This is an excellent new addition to an already excellent book. The new edition contains a substantial amount of new material which makes it more relevant for students today, including the application of DA to current issues such as political polarisation, climate change and social media. The best thing about this edition is how it confronts issues around generative AI in ways that focus on the human side of human-machine communication (and AI’s impact on human-human communication), resulting in insights that are not likely to quickly become obsolete as the technology develops. I am also very pleased with the new chapter on multimodality which not only makes the book more comprehensive but also provides a refreshing take on multimodal discourse analysis. “

Rodney Jones, University of Reading, UK

 

From the Publisher