Language Data Collection Techniques: Discourse Analysis

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Discourse Analysis (DA): The study and analysis of the discourse of a text (anything that communicates a message) and how the message constructs a social reality or view of the world by taking into consideration the surrounding social and historical contexts. Discourse can have several meanings, including:  Language beyond the level of a sentence (past features such as phonetics, syntax, and morphology) (Mills, 2004).  Language behaviors linked to social practices (a type of language specific or unique to a subject or discipline, such as the discourse of law) (Mills, 2004).  Language as a system of thought (Foucauldian discourse analysis: discourse creates a social context, which gives meaning to language: “Nothing has any meaning outside of discourse” (Foucault, 1972, p. 44)).  ACTIVITY 1: Watch “What is Discourse Analysis” video—Can you think of other examples similar to the one used in the video? Why are distinctions in language use such as these examples important to consider during a qualitative study? https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=72&v=HieQtMJG-Gg Why Discourse Analysis:  Prevalence: “language is an irreducible part of social life, dialectically interconnected with other elements of social life, so that social analysis and research always has to take account of language” (Fairclough, 2003, p. 2). “face-to-face social interaction (or other live interaction mediated by phones and other technological media) is the most immediate and the most frequently experienced social reality. The heart of our social and personal being lies in the immediate contact with other humans” (Peräkylä, 2005, p. 874)  Subjective Nature/Perspective: Communication is rarely objective; language seeks a particular response, such as an unconscious decision, when we use it, making it interesting.  ACTIVITY 2: Read the two questions below—How could these two questions

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