Discourse and Language Education (Cambridge Language Teaching Library)

Discourse and Language Education offers a practical, accessible discussion of discourse analysis. Discourse analysis describes how such communication is structured, so that it is socially appropriate and linguistically accurate. This book gives practical experience in analyzing discourse and the study of written language. The analyses show the ways we use linguistic signals to carry out our discourse goals and the differences between written and spoken language as well as across languages. This text can be used as a manual in teacher education courses and linguistics and communications courses. It will be of great interest to second language teachers, foreign language teachers, and special education teachers (especially those involved with the hearing impaired).

Discourse analysis is the study of how communication--spoken and written--is structured so that it is socially appropriate and linguistically accurate. This book gives practical experience in analyzing discourse. It includes analyses of spoken language--conversations, classroom interactions, speech events, and scripts--and written language--from formal rhetorical structures of composition to the informal style of personal letters. Because the organization of discourse differs across languages, example data are drawn from native speakers and language learners of all ages, backgrounds, and proficiency levels. Thus, Discourse and Language Education will be of great interest to teachers of ESL/EFL, foreign language teachers, and special education teachers, especially those working with the hearing impaired.