H G Widdowson

Gebundenes Buch

Text, Context, Pretext

Critical Issues in Discourse Analysis

Beschreibung

This fascinating examination of the relations between grammar, text and discourse is designed to provoke genuinely critical discussion on key issues in discourse analysis which are not always clearly identified and explored. The enquiry into discourse analysis that Zellig Harris initiated 50 years ago raised a number of problematic issues that have remained unresolved ever since. What these are all centrally concerned with is the relationship between the analysis of the formal properties of text and the significance that is assigned to them in discourse interpretation. Widdowson explores this relationship and introduces the notion of pretext as an additional factor in the general interpretative process. He also focuses attention specifically on the work of critical discourse analysis (CDA) in the light of the issues discussed. The result is a stimulating volume that makes explicit the distinctions between the key concepts of text and discourse, and between context, co-text and pretext. It shows how these are related and can provide a theoretical frame of reference for the critical evaluation of current issues in discourse analysis.

Autor

H. G. Widdowson is Honorary Professor at the University of Vienna and Professor Emeritus at the University of London. He is renowned in the fields of applied linguistics and language teaching, and is the author of numerous books and articles, including Defining Issues in English Language Teaching (2002), Linguistics (1996), and Practical Stylistics: An Approach to Poetry (1992).

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley
• Seitenzahl: 196
• Erscheinungstermin: 29. Oktober 2004
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 240mm x 161mm x 15mm
• Gewicht: 466g
• ISBN-13: 9780631234517
• ISBN-10: 0631234519
• Artikelnr.: 21225402

Rezensionen

"This book is beautifully written, clearly and cogentlyargued and illustrated with interesting and persuasive examples. Itis excellent for use with students, who would otherwise struggle ina field replete with difficult, if not tortuous, key texts."Malcolm Coulthard, University of Birmingham

"It is unusual in discourse analysis to find a book asthought-provoking or as wide-ranging as this. Any student ofpragmatics, discourse analysis (critical or otherwise), textlinguistics or corpus linguistics will need to consider carefullywhat Henry Widdowson has to say; his positions are too well arguedto be simply ignored."
Michael Hoey, University of Liverpool

"Text, Context, Pretext covers much ground in discourseanalysis ranging from its early precursors (e.g. B Malinowski, Z.Harris) to its contemporary practitioners. The notion of pretextprovides a new approach to the discussion of critical issues in(critical) discourse analysis."
Journal of Sociolinguistics

"The Volume, greatly ro its credit, raises the awareness ofvarious critical issues which need to be considered when embarkingon research in Critical Discourse Analysis."
Discourse & Society