MODULE 3 WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT 1

Module 3 Weekly Assignment

Molly A. Simon
Department of M.A TESOL, Campbellsville University
TSL 670: Discourse Analysis
Dr. Eduardo L. Trindade, Ph.D.
April 3rd, 2023
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Module 3 Weekly Assignment

For this week’s assignment, we were given a variety of passages and situations to

examine and discuss. The topics ranged from physically abused children and their response to

hostility and anger, to the many complexities of climate change. In this paper, I will discuss the

topics and discussion points that were brought forth in questions 38, 41, and 50.

To begin, I will analyze the text found in problem 38 in regard to how its word choice

and grammatical structures led to the use of social language. The language utilized in the text

reflects a unique social language that is frequently utilized in academic and scientific writing. In

the phrase, "physically abused children develop perceptual sensitivity to anger," the word choice

reflects a precise and technical understanding of how abused children process emotional cues

(Braine, 2002). Additionally, the use of the term "attentional processes" to describe how abused

children regulate their attention in the face of anger or threat demonstrates a specific cognitive

mechanism that we often find in psychology research (Braine, 2002). The term "conservative"

used to describe the study design draws attention to the researchers' careful and academic

approach (Hyland, 2004). Additionally, the phrase "state of anticipation monitoring" describing

how abused children remain alert when exposed to anger conveys a technical term that is also

used in psychology to describe particular mental states (Hyland, 2004). As you can see, there

appears to be a pattern of using psychological terms within this text. This not only makes it

academic, but also technical in nature. The text continues this pattern with its use of the phrase

"recovery to baseline states" to describe how non-abused children return to their normal

physiological or psychological state after exposure to anger, which is used to express the authors

technical understanding of the topic (Swales, 1990). These word choices and grammatical

structures in the text establish a distinct social language that is typical in academic and scientific
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writing (Smith, 2015). This particular language is easily noted by precise terminology and

technical vocabulary that shows a comprehensive understanding of the research topic (Smith,

2015). It may be argued that the authors used this style to communicate their findings in a clear

and concise manner to their audience (Smith, 2015).

To delve deeper into this text, I will now analyze its use of the following: “not

purposefully meaningful” In the text provided, the phrase "not purposefully meaningful" may

refer to the idea that the anger-related stimuli shown to the children was presented in the

background and were not directly related to the child's task or personally meaningful to them.

Therefore, it could be inferred that the researchers did not intend for the stimuli to have a specific

significance or meaning for the child's task or experience. Instead, they were included as

irrelevant background stimuli in order to create a test that was cautious and careful in evaluating

the children's attentional regulation (Johnson, 2014). Therefore, the phrase "not purposefully

meaningful" can be understood as suggesting that the stimuli were not deliberately designed to

have a specific meaning or significance within the context of the child's task or experience

(Johnson, 2014). However, it should be note that it's possible for anger to have personal meaning

to a child who has experienced physical abuse by angry parents, even if the anger is not

expressed directly at them (Reynolds, 2005). When the text uses the phrase "personally

meaningful," it's referring to the significance or relevance of a stimulus to an individual's

personal experiences, values, goals, or emotions. For instance, a child who has been physically

abused by angry parents may develop a heightened sensitivity to anger and perceive it as a threat

or danger, even if it's not directed at them specifically (Reynolds, 2005). As a result, the anger-

related stimuli presented to the child in the study could still be personally meaningful, as they
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may trigger memories, emotions, or reactions associated with their previous experiences of

abuse.

Now that we have thoroughly discussed problem number 38, let’s move onto the text

found in problem 41. Problem number 41 included a plethora of intertextual references. Firstly,

the mention of "Goliath" is an allusion to the story of David and Goliath in the Bible, where the

underdog David defeated the giant Goliath (Toliver, 2018). The reference implies that sometimes

the stronger opponent wins. The mention of "World Series Game 6" is a specific reference to a

game in the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB, n.d.). The reference

suggests that this game was particularly memorable or noteworthy. The reference to "Godzilla"

alludes to the fictional monster that has appeared in numerous films, implying that a seemingly

unstoppable force like Godzilla can sometimes prevail (Berardinelli, 1998). The phrase "a

crapshoot" refers to the unpredictability of playoff baseball, suggesting that the outcome of the

games is often based on chance (Chass, 2022). This specific intertextual reference utilizes scare

quotes. Scare quotes are often used to indicate a word or a phrase in a non-literal or ironic way

(Buckley, 2017). However, many editors seen scare quotes as a lazy way of conveying a point

(Buckley, 2017). Finally, the phrase "the-best-team-won" refers to the idea that the team that

won the World Series was truly the best team, implying that the outcome was not based on

chance or luck (Miller, 2019). The author uses these intertextual references to emphasize the idea

that sometimes in sports, the outcome is not based on luck or the underdog, but rather on who is

truly the best team (Miller, 2019). These references help convey the idea that the team that won

the World Series was deserving of the title and that it was not just by chance. Through

referencing other stories and events to make this point, the author strengthens their argument and

adds depth to their analysis of the game.

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So, why does it seem that sports reporting often has a plethora of intertextual references

written within its data? Sports reporting often uses intertextual references to provide context and

meaning to the events being reported (Creedon, 2005). Pamela J. Creedon, explains that

"sportswriters and readers alike often have a shared experience, and these shared experiences

make intertextual references all the more potent" (Creedon, 2005). One reason for the use of

intertextual references in sports reporting is the nature of sports fandom. According to Robert A.

Stebbins, a sociologist, sports fans often have a strong connection to their teams and players and

a deep understanding of the history and context surrounding sporting events. This shared

experience makes intertextual references more meaningful and engaging for readers (Stebbins,

2001). Therefore, intertextual references can establish sports journalists' expertise and authority

within the field (Stebbins, 2001). Thus, intertextual references are prevalent in sports reporting

because they provide context and meaning for readers who share a common experience of the

sport (Stebbings, 2001)

Finally, I will dive into the prompt from problem 50. Global warming is a multifaceted

issue with a variety of stakeholders and perspectives (Wallace, 2017). According to NASA,

global surface temperatures have increased by 1.18°C since the late 19th century, and 97% of

climate scientists agree that this rise in temperatures is caused by human activities (NASA, n.d.).

However, there are still debates surrounding the issue/ These debates are often tied to political,

economic, and ideological perspectives (Wallace, 2017). For example, conservative politicians

and have been skeptical of the science behind climate change, while progressives and

environmental groups have been urgently fighting for action (Fountain, 2019). A study by the

Pew Research Center found that political affiliation and ideology are strong predictors of

attitudes towards climate change (Fountain, 2019). There are also societal and cultural factors
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that influence the debate, such as a perceived conflict between environmental protection and

economic growth (Cook, 2019). One of the most prominent figures in the discourse on climate

change today is Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environmental activist. Thunberg gained

international attention for her school strikes for climate and has been a vocal advocate for

immediate action to address climate change. She is associated with the discourse of youth

activism and has been a driving force behind the global youth climate movement (Fountain,

2019).

Through this paper, I addressed the text and discussions found in problem 38, 41, and 50.

I specifically addressed the grammatical patterns and word choice of problem 38 and how these

specific choices led to its social language. Additionally, I addressed the many intertextual

references utilized in problem 41. Specifically, I addressed why those intertextual references

were meaningful. Lastly, I discussed climate change and its regards to the world and individuals

like Greta Thunberg.

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References

Berardinelli, J. (1998, May 22). Godzilla (1998). ReelViews.

Braine, G. (2002). Academic discourse. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 22, 58-76.

Buckley, J. (2017). Scare quotes in academic writing: An empirical analysis. Journal of

Pragmatics, 115, 59-70.

Chass, M. (2002, October 7). BASEBALL; For the postseason, no sure bets, no easy picks. The

New York Times.

Cook, C., Inglehart, R., & Persson, L. O. (2019). Cultural theory and climate change:

Understanding the role of culture in climate change perceptions, evaluation, and

response. Global Environmental Change, 56, 12-21.

Creedon, P. J. (1996). Sportswriting and intertextuality. Journalism & Mass Communication

Quarterly, 73(3), 619-631.

Fountain, H. (2019, August 28). Greta Thunberg, young climate activist, arrives in New York for

U.N. summit. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/climate/greta-

thunberg-un-climate-summit.html

Hyland, K. (2004). Disciplinary discourses: Social interactions in academic writing. University

of Michigan Press.

Johnson, S. P., Fernandes, K. J., Frank, M. C., Kirkham, N. Z., Marcus, G. F., Rabagliati, H., &

Slemmer, J. A. (2014). Abstract rule learning for visual sequences in 8- and 11-month-

olds. Infancy, 19(3), 286-305.

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Miller, S. (2019, October 31). The 2019 World Series will not determine the best team.

FiveThirtyEight.

MLB. (n.d.). World Series history. Major League Baseball.

NASA. (n.d.). Climate change: How do we know?

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2012). Climate change: Evidence,

impacts, and choices. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/14682

Rada, J. (2012). “It's gotta be the shoes!”: The role of intertextuality in the credibility of sport

journalists. Communication Quarterly, 60(4), 466-482.

Reynolds, G. D., & Richards, J. E. (2005). Familiarization, attention, and recognition memory in

infancy: An event-related potential and cortical source localization study. Developmental

Psychology, 41(4), 598-615.

Ruffman, T., & Perner, J. (1995). Memory and understanding: Conceptual foundations of

children's memory development. Psychology Press.

Smith, R. (2015). The characteristics of academic writing in education. Journal of Education and

Practice, 6(3), 1-9.

Stebbins, R. A. (2004). Sports fans: The psychology and social impact of spectators. Routledge.

Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge

University Press.

Toliver, A. (2018). The importance of allusions in literature and life. Arizona State University.

United Nations Development Programme. (2016). The policymaker's guide to climate change.
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United Nations Environment Programme. (2018). Climate change, justice and human rights.

Wallace-Wells, D. (2017, November 15). Elon Musk's mission to save the world. Rolling Stone.