Discourse Analysis

Dr. Andi Kaharuddin, S.IP, M.Hum

Name : Meliana

Nim : 40300120065

Class : 5AG2

Assignment 2

Topic : Understanding the concept of discourse

1. Why should we learn the genesis of discourse analysis?

- To study the history and to describe the orgin of discourse analysis
2. Do you agree with saying that : that the development of discourse analysis theory is
strongly influenced by the developments of linguistic theories?
- I am agree, because linguistic theory is the one that gives rise to the theory of
discourse analysis.
3. - What is traditional grammar theory?
According to Smith (2003), Traditional Grammar theory is the study of the structure as
well as the information of words and sentence, usually without much reference to sound
and meaning.
- What is the main principle of this theory?
Main principle is that the grammers in this tradition reflects the prescriptive view that
one dialect or variety of a language is to be valued more highly than others and
should be the norm for all speakers of the language.
- What do teachers who adopt the principle do in teaching a language?
Teachers must make rules of a certain language as an absolute reference which should
be fully studied and followed by all learners of the language.
- What are the products of this theory?
Murray’s English Grammar which was firstly published in 1794
- What is the main shortcoming of this theory?
The main shortcoming is in the prescriptive approach.
- What are grammar translation method and its relation to traditional grammar theory?
a. The primary goal of a foreign language teaching is to read texts written in the
foreign language, but not oral language.
b. The dominant activity in the classroom is to translate that foreign language into
one’s mother tongue. Good translation becomes a decisive measurement to judge
a learner‟s success in foreign language study.
c. Learners take decades to be able to communicate in the foreign language because
oral language skill is not the target of this teaching method.
 d. Teachers dominate the class while learners are required to write down every detail
of information given by the teachers (teacher-centered)
e. Learners are encouraged to grasp language forms (pronunciation, vocabulary, and
mainly grammar) correctly.
f. Teachers are required to speak in the foreign language during the class and to
correct every single error of language forms made by the learners
Relation because according to Xia (2014), traditional grammar theory inspires the
birth of grammar translation method in language pedagogy.
4. - What is structuralism theory and what does De Saussure say about the structure of
language?
Structuralism is analysing language and literature.
De Saussure say this theory focused on examining language as s static system of
interconnected units.
- What are the main principles of this theory?
a. Structuralism puts spoken language to be the first place and written language the
second.
b. Structuralism employs descriptive approach which allows learners try to find the
unconscious rules that people follow when they say things like sentences without
any prescribed rules in books to follow.
c. Structuralism requires learners to learn language skills as a unified system as a
whole. Therefore they need a source of language components for imitation in
order to build their skills in a foreign language.
- What is informant method and what is its relationship to the structuralism theory?
Informant method is served as a source of phrases, vocabolary and who provided
sentences for imitation. And the relationship is the prominent linguist, who brought
the principles of structuralism into audio lingual method.
- What are the characteristic of the method?
a. A language is what its native speaker says, not what someone thinks they ought to
say.
b. Drilling is a primary activity in the classroom.
c. Learning a foreign language is in need of habit using the language which is
initiated by mimicking, repeating the use of language components continuously
until the learners feel natural to express everything they have learnt in the foreign
language.
d. Teachers have to lead his learners to practice the same sentences over and over
again to gain familiarity with the sentences.
e. Teacher‟s language is a model for the learners to imitate.
f. Communication skills will be attained after going through a long, boring and
repetitive process and rigorous drills.
- What is the main shortcoming of this theory?
Does not really emphasize the teaching of culture in language teaching.
 - What is error analysis and what is its relation to the structuralism theory?
Error analysis is to provide information to teachers about the forms errors often made
by learners. And relation to the structuralism theory is because in the era
structuralism, error analysis began intensively to be developed.
5. - What is functionalism theory and what does Chomsky say about language?
Fuctionalism theory is known as an approach to language study that is concerned with
studying the functions performed by language use.
Chomsky say language as a habit structure taught by presenting stimulus and respone,
reinforcement and association.
- What are the differences between Chomsky’s views and Hymes’ about language?
Chomsky’s view of competence is eventually recognized as linguistic competence
which deals with abstract abilities speakers posses that enable them to produce
grammatically correct sentences in language. And then Hymes had a broader view of
the term in which he included not only grammatical competence like Chomsky’s
views but also sociolinguistic and contextual competence.
- What is the main principles of this theory?
The main principles of this theory has been pushed many researchers to examine
aspects of the language functions beside the language forms.
- What is CLT method and its relation to functionalism theory?
CLT method
a. Teaching language skills is not enough just to teach forms of language such as
pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar
b. Knowledge of language form must be supported with the knowledge of how the
language is functioned for communication in accordance with the social and the
cultural context of its use.
Relation to functionalism theory is because the emergence of the theory of
communicative approach to language is deemed as the cornerstone of
functionalsim theory coming to being.
- What the relationship between Discourse Analysis and functionalism theory?
The relationship is the development of functionalism theory has become an
inspiration for some linguists to conduct research on discourse analysis as their efforts
to discover the social and cultural aspects behind the language used by humans to
communicate.