By Dalat TESOL
Helping novice researchers unpack meaning, power, and interaction in language use
📌 Introduction
Language is more than vocabulary and grammar — it’s a tool for doing things: persuading, complaining, teaching, resisting, collaborating. Discourse analysis (DA) is the study of how language is used to construct meaning, perform actions, and shape relationships in particular contexts.
For TESOL researchers, discourse analysis offers powerful tools to examine:
- How teachers and students interact in classrooms
- How identities are constructed in English-medium instruction (EMI)
- How power is embedded in assessment, curriculum, or policy language
- How learners develop communicative competence over time
This article introduces:
- What discourse analysis is and how it differs from other approaches
- Key traditions and methods in DA
- Common data sources (e.g., classroom talk, interviews, texts)
- Sample research applications in TESOL
- Practical guidance for beginners
- Tips for writing about discourse research
💬 1. What Is Discourse Analysis?
Discourse refers to language in use — beyond isolated words or sentences — and includes the social, cultural, and institutional meanings that language carries.
🧠 Discourse analysis looks at how people use language to do things in specific contexts — from negotiating meaning to expressing identity and maintaining power.
It examines patterns of meaning across texts or conversations and links language use to broader contexts like ideology, social roles, or pedagogical goals.
🧾 How DA Differs from Other Approaches
| Approach | Focus | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar-based | Structure of language | Subject–verb agreement in learner writing |
| Corpus linguistics | Frequency and pattern in large datasets | Most frequent connectors in academic writing |
| Discourse analysis | Function and meaning in context | How teachers soften instructions in classroom talk |
🧭 2. Key Traditions in Discourse Analysis
Discourse analysis is not one method, but a family of approaches. Each tradition has its own focus:
✅ Conversation Analysis (CA)
- Focus: Turn-taking, repair, pauses in real-time spoken interaction
- Data: Recorded conversations, classroom talk
- Goal: Describe interactional mechanisms in detail
- Example: How learners self-correct in peer speaking tasks
✅ Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
- Focus: Power, ideology, inequality in texts
- Data: Policy documents, textbooks, teacher feedback
- Goal: Reveal hidden assumptions or power dynamics
- Example: How EMI policies construct “native speaker norms” as ideal
✅ Interactional Sociolinguistics
- Focus: Cultural norms and identities in interaction
- Data: Interviews, small group discussions
- Goal: Show how meaning is negotiated across cultures
- Example: How silence is interpreted differently by students and teachers
✅ Genre and Register Analysis
- Focus: Structure and function of texts in context
- Data: Essays, reports, lesson plans
- Goal: Teach or analyze genre-specific language use
- Example: Comparing student vs. published research article introductions
📦 3. What Kind of Data Can You Use?
Discourse analysis often involves small datasets studied in-depth. Common data sources include:
| Data Type | Example | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Spoken data | Transcripts of lessons, interviews, peer talk | Classroom discourse, identity, interaction |
| Written texts | Essays, textbooks, policy documents | Genre analysis, CDA |
| Multimodal texts | Videos, websites, memes, teaching materials | Multimodal discourse studies |
| Online texts | Discussion forums, social media, learning platforms | Digital discourse and language learning |
💡 Tip: Even 20 minutes of recorded teacher talk or 10 writing samples can be enough for a focused DA project.
🧪 4. Sample Research Applications in TESOL
✅ Example 1: Turn-taking in Speaking Classrooms
RQ: How do teachers manage student participation in large EFL classrooms?
- Collect 2–3 lesson transcripts
- Use conversation analysis to examine turn allocation (“Who speaks next?”)
- Analyze repair sequences and participation cues
🎯 Contribution: Shows how teachers balance control and learner agency in speaking practice.
✅ Example 2: Power in Feedback on Student Writing
RQ: What discursive strategies do lecturers use when commenting on EFL student essays?
- Collect teacher-written feedback comments
- Apply critical discourse analysis
- Examine modality (e.g., “should,” “might”), hedging, praise vs. criticism
🎯 Contribution: Uncovers implicit ideologies about “good writing” and linguistic standards.
✅ Example 3: Identity Construction in EMI Lecturers
RQ: How do EMI university lecturers construct their identities in interviews?
- Conduct 5–6 semi-structured interviews
- Code for self-positioning, references to nativeness, confidence
- Analyze language choices and discourse markers
🎯 Contribution: Offers insights into teacher agency, struggle, and adaptation in EMI contexts.
🧰 5. Practical Tips for New Discourse Researchers
✅ Start with a clear research question
e.g., “How do teachers use questioning strategies in reading lessons?”
✅ Transcribe carefully
Use basic conventions (pauses, overlap, emphasis) if analyzing speech
✅ Choose an analytical lens
Decide early: Is your focus interaction, identity, or ideology?
✅ Work with manageable data
Depth matters more than size in most DA studies
✅ Use excerpts to support claims
Quote full examples — not just single words — and interpret them in context
✅ Be transparent in your method
Explain your coding steps, selection criteria, and reflexivity
✍️ 6. Writing Up Discourse Analysis in a Thesis or Article
Your paper should include:
- A clear RQ or aim
- Rationale for choosing discourse analysis
- Description of data (type, context, participants)
- Analytical framework (e.g., Fairclough’s CDA, CA)
- Coding and interpretation process
- Data excerpts with detailed analysis
- Reflection on context, role of the researcher, and implications
📝 Sample write-up:
“Using Fairclough’s (2001) three-dimensional CDA model, I examined 20 pages of textbook content focused on workplace English. I coded for assumptions about gender, race, and authority, particularly in roleplay dialogues and scenario tasks…”
📚 Further Reading
- Gee, J. P. (2014). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method.
- Fairclough, N. (2013). Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language.
- Paltridge, B. (2021). Discourse Analysis: An Introduction (3rd ed.).
- Walsh, S. (2011). Exploring Classroom Discourse.
- Flowerdew, J. (2013). Discourse in English Language Education.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Discourse analysis allows TESOL researchers to go beyond surface-level observations and ask:
What are people really doing with language — and why does it matter?
From uncovering patterns in classroom interaction to exposing ideologies in curricula, discourse analysis brings nuance and depth to English language education research.
You don’t need huge datasets or complex software. You just need curiosity, close attention to context, and a willingness to read between the lines.
🌿 Dalat TESOL – Chia sẻ kiến thức giảng dạy, nghiên cứu khoa học và cơ hội xuất bản