Discourse Analysis Is a Social Science - Essay Example

? Running head: Linguistics, Dis Analysis Lecturer Linguistics: Dis analysis Dis analysis is a social sciencethat studies how communication is viewed linguistically. The relationship between the text and spoken word is analyzed to determine the role they play in effective communication. Spoken and written words can draw different meanings, degrees and theories. In everyday speech and writings discourse is experienced at various levels. Discourse can be identified by meaning, function and cognitive theory. Discourse is more qualitative than quantitative because it explains the meaning perceived in certain phenomena. In the attempt to communicate the topic is chosen and actions are performed then translated. Discourse analysis tends to illustrate ‘beyond the sentence’ Fairclough (2012: 281). Language analysts disseminate and analyze the form of communication bits by bits. Fairclough (2012: 281) points out that the role of a discourse analyst is to identify and state the different meanings. A good example is a sign written ‘conference hall for members only’ and another one at the same location written ‘please use the garden not the conference hall’. One is able only to integrate the first sign after reading the second sign post. Sometimes people take two related sentences interdependently and come up with a different perspective on the issue. It is possible for words to be dependent on other words and an attempt to separate would mean changing the original meaning. Words that go hand in hand are used to create emphasis or to represent a certain group (Coello and Bartolo, 2013: 23). The related words are recognized easily because the words are commonly used. When making a speech the speaker may use the related words to communicate to the audience effectively. The use of common vocabulary in this case assist the listeners relate the words to their real representation. Below are some of the ways language is manipulated to a particular point of view. Use of discourse and frames to introduce a topic. This is the process where the person gets to find out what the topic frame is all about. It is hard to conceptualize text or spoken words without finding out what is the topic about. Authors’ sometimes frame articles artistically in a manner that attracts an audience then they later introduce the main issue. It is very easy for the audience to get caught up by what attracted them at first that they do not pay attention to the main issue. For instance, a headline such as North Korea launches missile on the New York daily post is bound to stick on the readers to read the story New York Post (2013: 1). Here discourse analysis because what served as an attracter takes the centre stage in the audience’s mind. A comedian for example can stand on stage and open the show with many light jokes and goes on to remark on a serious note about a current political situation. The likelihood is that the people in the room will not take it serious despite the fact that some may hold a different opinion. The frame placed by the comedian already has the audience attentive and because the show starts with jokes the audience carry the same all through the show. Conversation is one of the most common forms of communication. When talking the parties involved need to coordinate in order to communicate effectively. This means that the people engaged in the conversation must learn how to take turns while speaking (Coelle and Bartollo, 2013: 132). The speakers in this case should identify when to interject and when to pass over the conversation to the next person. Signals here are often used to represent the turnover of conversation from one person to the next. For example one can choose to pose a question to another person as a way of involving the other person. Words like ‘What do you think Ann? Or ‘do you agree with the theory John?’ act as an exchange of the person talking to the next (Coello and Bartolo, 2013: 132). Non-verbal signs are also used to invite other people to join in the conversation. Making eye contact or pointing in the addressee’s direction is common signs that spell out that it’s their turn to talk. It is considered rude to interrupt a conversation so most people wait for the various signals before they can start talking. However, in a new setting it is wise for ease of communication to examine the interaction in silence until asked by the host to speak. Silence for example may mean an end to a conversation while to others it simply means agreement. It is improper to interrupt an exchange between the speaker and the speakers. Interruption is seen as one of the main communication barriers. According to Fairclough (2012:284) when people feel interrupted they cannot help but feel mutual frustration. When frustration kicks in communication is strained because the mutual relation between the speaker and listener is disrupted. Sometimes interruption is used as an indirect way to cut down the conversation. Sometimes the listener can interrupt a conversation if he or she does not agree with the speaker’s argument or point of view. Interruption is also a form of styles used to create the feeling that something needs to be said but it cannot be said right out. For instance in an ongoing theatre play, the actor could start a leading conversation only to have another actor interrupt the speaker. This effect leaves the crowd wondering what the actor wants to reveal but keeps on getting interrupted by the listener. Listenership may be signalled in different ways, much as listening is a part of speaking in conversation. Listener feedback such as nodding and vocalizations like’mhm’ ‘uhuh’ and ‘yeah’ is the kind of feedback that speakers expect (Coello and Bartolo, 2013: 23). An impression that someone is not listening can be created by less frequent or less enthusiastic expressions of listenership; while an impression of being rushed along can be created by more frequent or more enthusiastic expressions of listenership. Eye contact for some should only be intermittent, and for others it is expected nearly continually. How you speak can change depending on the type of listener response you get: you may slow down, repeat, over explain and even give up making your point, if the listener seems uninterested or unable to comprehend whether or not they truly are (Birkelund, 2013:88). Cultural influences as nationality, ethnicity, geographic region and individual style varies the expectations and habitual use of listenership signals. Little words like ‘well’ ‘and’ ‘but’ ‘so’ and ‘oh’ that show the relation between words and segment our speech are termed as ‘Discourse Markers’ by linguists (Fairclough, 2012: 285). An example; ‘but’ indicates the sentence to follow is in opposition to the one before, while ‘so’ implies casualty. The dictionary however may not define these markers as they mean. Some people put ‘but’ as a way of trailing gently at the end of sentences and use ‘so’ or ‘and’ to start a new thought. Frustration can be experienced if one expects every word to have its dictionary meaning every time it’s used, thus it is important to know that they can function as discourse markers. Readers can look at the world through the lens of literature. The way the author allows you to “hear” and “see” what’s going on is the point of view. By manipulating the point of view of the story the author skilfully fixes the reader’s attention to the emotion, opinion and detail to be emphasized (Fairclough, 2012: 288). Authors use three variety points of view, to manipulate the audience thoughts. First person for example is used to narrate the story in the reader’s eyes because a story is narrated with words such as I, me, my and mine. Second person influences the reader to pay attention because the language used is participatory. Second persons draw the reader to almost take action. The third person attracts the reader to look at certain phenomena from the outside. For example the statement ‘missile tests could come anyday’ has the author’s voice heard to describe the events the audience should anticipate. This technique is meant to catch the reader’s attention on what issue is being described. Speech acts are also a good way to represent certain utterances such as “I pronounce you husband and wife” are automatically perceived as an act of marriage. The same could apply to words such as ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I cannot help’ to enact an apology on one’s side. Discourse analyst has observed that women are like to get compliments and also give them often as compared to men (Birkelund 2013: 88). Once compliments are uttered the response depends on how the receiver perceives compliments. In some cultures if someone compliments on another’s possession, the person complimented should give the item to the person complimenting. It is easy to assume people compliment items just to get them and therefore compliments will rarely be given. Words like ‘dramatic world destruction’ (New York Post 2013:1)could immediately trigger the perception that danger is coming ang cause people to start panicking. Indirect talk is the process where people converse in a more implied than direct way to express themselves. If someone says that ‘It is cold in here’ it could be an indirect request to shut down the window or close the door. Indirectness is according to Fairclough (2012: 289) is mostly used by junior persons when talking to high ranking people. It is also considered to show a sign of respect to senior persons when a junior uses indirect language when asking for special favours. There are strategies that people adopt that express words relation. These words can give power to the speaker and attract the target audience. The main role in any speech is to convince people to agree to the speaker’s point of view or maybe take action on something (Coello and Bartolo, 2013: 31). Speakers understand that they need to use words that stimulate the crowd to catch their attention. Language that is attractive and stimulating is referred to as emotive language. Emotive language is a kind of manipulative language that persuades the audience into changing opinions. One common place that this kind of manipulative language is used is in advertisements. Marketers use emotive language to arouse feelings and make people feel they need the certain product or service being advertised. A good example is insurance companies’ today use emotive language to persuade the public to buy insurance. Insurance advertisements could for example ask: Will your children be taken care of when you die? This instils a kind of fear in the people guarding them to buy insurance to protect their children. Emotive language leads people to do something without feeling out of control. A statement like “recommended by doctors all over the world” in a pharmaceutical advert could manipulate listeners to purchase the product because it’s a common notion doctors know best. Non-verbal acts just as speech can also influence people’s perception. Non-verbal acts can affect people’s feelings (Coulthard, 2013: 32). If a young man for example, holds the door for a young woman but declines to do the same for an older woman he is showing bias towards young women. Acts speaks volumes about the actor’s attitude. The use of inclusive and exclusive language can also impact the basis of communication. In some places the use ‘chairman’ is viewed as exclusive language because it excludes women. In such a case the best term would be ‘chairperson’ because it includes men and women. Inclusive language tends to improve communication and forms better relationship. Using exclusive language gives people a negative point of view because it leaves out part of the truth. It is better for example to say ‘humankind’ than to say ‘mankind’. The main intention of many newspaper companies is to capture as many people as possible. This means that whatever words are chosen on the front page hold a huge role. This leads to biasness because the newspapers tend to exaggerate the story making it sensational enough to attract many readers. The online New York Post (2013: 1) carried the headline ‘North Korea to launch missile ‘at any time’: South Korea. Such a title is bound to draw a lot of curiosity leaving the readers wanting to read more. How a topic ignites people to either log online or purchase a newspaper depends on how it was relayed to them. There is a notion among media houses that bad news sells quicker hence common usage of words like ‘dramatic display of military power’ or ‘a tense situation over a possible missile attack’ (New York, 2013:1). Newspapers and magazines maintain their circulation by grabbing the reader’s attention. Whether in print or online they keep reports and articles highly entertaining and dramatic to hook the reader emotionally. Information reported in newspapers today not only strives to be objective and factual to give a complete account, but also be attractive and persuasive (Birkelund 2013, 90). The writers often include a central message that persuades the reader to see and agree with the main contention. Just below the North Korea article is the words: Japan Self Defense Force personnel man PAC-3 missile interceptors deployed at the compound of Japan's Defense Ministry amid a tense situation over a possible missile launch by North Korea in Tokyo, Wednesday, April 10, 2013. North Korea has completed preparations for a missile test that could come any day, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said as Pyongyang prepares to mark the April 15 birthday of its founder, historically a time when it seeks to draw the world's attention with dramatic displays of military power. (New York Post, 2013: 1). While it is true that there has been some threats from North Korea the emphasis on the words ‘missile test could come any day’ (New York Post 2013: 1) carry a huge effect on people. This kind of reporting can cause people to go on panic mode as a result of the said war. The writer’s words need to carry an everyday language that appeals to the readers hence choosing emotive words that trigger the reader’s feelings is imperative. Focus on the language used in newspapers today can make people react to the piece of information in different ways. The information can trigger sad feelings or can sometimes leave the audience with opposed feelings based on how the writer brings out the piece of information. The tone of the piece when read aloud can easily influence the reader’s reaction. Does the tone sound sarcastic or ironic? Is it way disgusting? Is it a light heart or way jocular? Does it evoke calmness or distress? All this is achieved by how a writer uses situations, words and images to make the reader respond to a certain way. The writer in order to sell his or her article must position the reader to agree with his or her point. The main aim is to convince the reader using phrases and words that influence the reader to see their point of view and cross over to their side. The particular effect is determined by how the author conveys reasons and logic to the reader. Newspaper articles aside from language use stories, evidence and argumentative language. For example the writer may give a personal anecdote which may incline the reader to feel sympathetic and side with him or her. The persuasive vocabulary used by the authors also positions readers to a point of view. The post on North Korea was accompanied by a huge military track, next to it are North Korean soldiers inspecting the truck. Such an image compliments the words ‘North Korea war threats’ in the article (New York Post, 2013: 1). Images play a huge role in translating the written text. Photographs also act as evidence to back up the anecdote by the author. When discussing certain topics the vocabulary evokes the reader to evaluate the main issue the writer is talking about. The choice of vocabulary used in newspapers is always positioned to capture the reader to agree with the writer. A title like ‘North Korea to launch missile at any time’ is bound to attract quite a number of readers concerned with security issues. Any author would use such a title to grab the attention of people directly concerned with the intention of calling for action. The writer here knows that the main intention is raising awareness on insecurity and so the article could talk of the extent of insecurity and what needs to be done collectively. The mass media has a huge control of how its audience hears on radio and sees on their television sets. The mediums have learned to use a language that changes the perception of their audience based on what they see and hear. These mediums create perfect timing for creating stories and news making it almost believable (Fairclough, 2012: 288). To capture its audience there has to be a current phenomenon that supports the created theory. Sometime last year in November CNN had the highlight in their news broadcast ‘what Obama’s re-election means for healthcare’. CNN reported that liberals feared that Romney’s presidency would mark the end of Obama’s affordable healthcare Act. America’s economy is not stable and there are a great number of people who currently cannot afford health insurance. Words like this at the time would trigger people who cannot afford insurance cover to automatically vote for Obama based on what they have heard in the news. The people would feel obligated to vote Obama so they can see the healthcare Act law implemented. Conclusion Words can influence thoughts and ideas influencing how information is transferred from one person to another. The media plays a huge role in how words are judged by the public and that is why in most cases people follow what they hear, see or read out there. Here discourse is seen as a process where the utterances of the speaker and the context of words, with their potential meaning are followed by the listeners by the listeners. This also applies to the meaning of text language because all kinds of written texts are meaningful. The writer anticipates and tries to control the reader’s reaction by using words that affect their response. Word put in to context is a discourse process that is dynamic and something psychological within the participant’s mind. Hence people construct in their mind the context of situation and then choose to believe what they have heard based on the circumstances. The mind is always alert to receive the piece o information but how it is perceived varies from one person to another. References Birkelund, G. S. 2013. Class and stratification analysis. Emerald group publishing, New York. Coello, Y & Bartolo. S. 2013. Language and action in cognitive neurosciences. Psychology press, New York. Coulthard, M. 2013. Advances in spoken discourse analysis. Routledge, London. Fairclough, N. 2012. Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language. New Jersey: Pearson ESL. New York Post. 2013. North Korea to launch missile ‘at any time’: South Korea. Available at: . [Accessed April 13, 2013] Read More