STUDENT NUMBER: DSLLMR104523

COURSE CODE: 213

COURSE NAME: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS IN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION

ASSIGNMENT.
1.Using relevant examples in your own words, explain the following approaches to discourse
analysis:
 Speech act theory
 Interactional sociolinguistics
 Ethnography of communication
 Pragmatics
 Conversation analysis
 Variation analysis

Speech Act Theory

The goal of this method is to understand the intended meaning of words and the acts that
language performs. For example, someone is not only expressing a future occurrence when they
say, "I promise to be there at 9 am," but they are making a promise to it. For instance, when
someone says, "I apologize for my mistake," they are expressing both regret and a desire for
pardon.
Interactional Sociolinguistics
This method looks at how social background affects language use in interactions. For instance,
slang and idiomatic terms may be more common in a chat among friends than they would be in a
formal setting where anticipated language usage is expected.
Ethnography of Communication
This method looks at how a community's cultural circumstances influence communication
practices. For example, researchers may look at how welcomes vary depending on social
hierarchies within a society or how storytelling customs vary throughout cultures.
Pragmatics
The study of language in context with an emphasis on the construction of meaning through
language use is known as pragmatics. For instance, saying "It's cold in here" could be taken as a
request to change the temperature rather than just a comment on the outside conditions.
Conversation Analysis
This method looks at the arrangement and structure of spoken exchanges to determine how
meaning is formed through discourse. For example, in order to identify original social dynamics
or power relations, researchers may examine turn-taking patterns or interruptions in a discourse.

Variation Analysis
This methodology examines the ways in which language changes in various social, cultural, and
situational circumstances. For instance, researchers may look into how speakers of different
ages, genders, or socioeconomic backgrounds use language differently within a group.
CONCLUSION
These methods each provide characteristic views on discourse analysis, emphasizing the
difficulty of language use in various situations and the multidimensional character of
communication.