VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
MID-TERM ASSIGNMENT: DISCOURSE AND GRAMMAR

Lecturer: PhD. Nguyen Thi Linh Yen

Class: 19E1 _ Group 5

NUM MEMBER STUDENT ID

1 Nguyễn Kiều Trinh 19040398

2 Nguyễn Thị Chung 19040320

3 Nguyễn Hoàng Ngọc Lan 19040118

4 Nguyễn Bình Minh 19040367

Hanoi, 2023

GROUP MEMBER
 Nguyễn Kiều Trinh

Nguyễn Thị Chung

Nguyễn Hoàng Ngọc Lan

Nguyễn Bình Minh

I. Discourse and Grammar (Chung)
1. Definitions
According to Potter and Wetherell (1987), discourse is defined as "all forms of spoken
interaction, formal and informal, and written texts of all kinds". This definition suggests that
discourse involves not only verbal exchanges but also written communication across a range
of contexts, including academic, social, and professional spheres. Furthermore, the
inclusiveness of this definition implies that discourse can take many forms and can be studied
through diverse analytical lenses, such as linguistic, social, and cultural perspectives.

Based on Cambridge Dictionary and Collins Dictionary, “grammar” is defined as linguistic

rules governing the modification and syntactic combination of words to form coherent
sentences.

2. The importance of grammar in discourse

Accurate and flexible grammar use is a key factor in achieving a high level of proficiency in
both speaking and writing. When individuals have a good grasp of grammar, they are able to
express their ideas in a clear and organized manner, which enhances the comprehension of
their messages by others. In contrast, a lack of grammar skills can lead to confusion,
ambiguity, and miscommunication, which can impede effective communication.

Furthermore, grammar proficiency is essential for effective writing, as it enables writers to

convey their ideas coherently and with precision. The correct use of grammar enables writers
to structure their sentences, paragraphs, and entire documents effectively, making their
writing easier to understand and follow. Moreover, a solid understanding of grammar enables
writers to use language more creatively, allowing for more nuanced expression and effective
communication of complex ideas.

This requires a deep understanding of grammar and the ability to apply this knowledge in a
flexible manner, which is an essential skill for effective communication in diverse social and
professional settings. In this paper, we will justify our points with the following examples in
both spoken and written forms and provide in-depth analysis based on the knowledge of
Discourse Analysis.

II. The use of Discourse Grammar in authentic situations (Chung)

1. The practice of Discourse Grammar in public speaking
Game (Collocation Time)
1.1. Collocation
According to several researchers such as Baker (1992), Benson and Ilson (1997), and
Williams (2002), collocation is a group of two or three words that come from different parts
of speech and form a lexical unit. Firth's (1957, p.183) definition that collocations are "words
in habitual company" has been paraphrased in many of these definitions.

In terms of collocation types, there are two main categories: open and restricted. Open
collocations allow for a wide range of word combinations, while restricted collocations are
fixed, like idioms. Additionally, collocations can be classified as either grammatical or
lexical. Grammatical collocations involve prepositions used with nouns, verbs, or adjectives
(e.g. "by accident," "at night," "good at, "fall for", "amazed at"). Lexical collocations include
five subcategories as follows:

[1] Verb + Noun (e.g. make a decision)

[2] Verb + Adverb (e.g. influence someone profoundly)
[3] Noun + Verb (e.g. taxes rise)
[4] Adjective + Noun (e.g. fair compromise)
[5] Adverb + Adjective (e.g.highly exceptional)

The ability to acquire and accurately produce word combinations is an indication of an

advanced level of language proficiency. According to Lewis (1997, p.15), "fluency is based
on the acquisition of a large store of fixed or semi-fixed prefabricated items." Similarly,
James (1998, p.152) acknowledges that using collocations correctly "significantly contributes
to one's ability to speak idiomatically and like a native speaker." Therefore, this paper will
discuss how collocations work in communication.

1.2. The use of collocations in public speaking (Bình Minh)

1.2.1. Public speaking
In the context of public speaking, "speech" refers to a formal address or discourse delivered
by a speaker to an audience. A speech may have a specific purpose or goal, such as informing,
persuading, entertaining, or inspiring the listeners. It may be delivered in various settings,
such as at a conference, ceremony, or political rally, and can take on different formats, such as
a lecture, keynote address, or acceptance speech. Effective public speaking requires good
communication skills, including clarity, organization, and delivery, as well as an ability to
engage and connect with the audience.To attain effectiveness in public speaking, collocations
play an important role in this process as they allow speakers to express themselves with
greater accuracy, fluency, and naturalness.

Using appropriate collocations can help speakers to create a more engaging and memorable
speech by using familiar word combinations that resonate with the audience. This can help
to capture the audience's attention and make the speech more relatable.
In addition, collocations can also convey a sense of expertise and authority on the part of the
speaker. The correct use of collocations can demonstrate a deep understanding of the
language and the topic being discussed, which can increase the audience's confidence in the
speaker's knowledge and credibility.

In this paper, we will analyze the use of collocations in two famous speeches: “Ivanka
Trump Speech” and “I have a dream - Martin Luther King”

III. Two authentic situations

“I have a dream - Martin Luther King”
I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King .Jr HD (subtitled)

A. Transcript
Due to the length limitation of this paper, we decided to extract only the indispensable parts of
the speech as follows:

“...This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be
guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens
of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given its
colored people a bad check, a check that has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there
are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to
cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of
justice.

We have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now.
This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of
gradualism.

Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.

Now it is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of
racial justice.

Now it is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of
brotherhood.

Now is the time to make justice a reality to all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate
the determination of its colored citizens. This sweltering summer of the colored people’s
legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and
equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the colored
Americans need to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the
nation returns to business as usual.

There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the colored citizen is granted
his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of
our nation until the bright day of justice emerges …”

B. Context of speech.
"I Have a Dream" is a historical oration that was publicly delivered by the prominent
American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on August 28,
1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which was one of the most
significant and iconic events in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The speech is
considered one of the most notable and memorable moments in American history, and is
widely regarded as a masterpiece of oratory and rhetoric.

During this monumental address, Dr. King passionately advocated for the realization of civil
and economic rights, social justice, and equality for all citizens, irrespective of their race or
color. In particular, he spoke out against the systemic racism and discrimination that African
Americans had experienced for centuries in the United States, and called for an end to these
oppressive practices. He also expressed his belief in the power of peaceful protest and civil
disobedience as effective means of bringing about social change and achieving racial equality.

C. The use of grammatical and lexical collocations.

As can be seen from the text, both kinds of collocations were well-used throughout the
speech. Despite the fact that there exist numerous collocations in this speech, this paragraph
will only focus on lexical collocation as representative.
The most distinctive grammatical collocation in the extract is identified in this sentence:
“There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his
citizenship rights.” The grammatical collocation "is granted his citizenship rights" in this
sentence refers to the action of officially conferring or recognizing the legal and political
rights of a colored citizen. The verb "granted" is used in the passive voice, emphasizing that
the power to grant citizenship rights lies with those in authority, and that it is the right of the
colored citizen to receive them.

The use of the adjective "citizenship" before the noun "rights" highlights the importance of
full membership and participation in a society, as opposed to simply having certain individual
freedoms. The phrase "Negro" is also significant, as it was commonly used during the Civil
Rights movement to describe African American individuals who were often denied their full
rights and freedoms.
Another notable lexical collocation lies in the following sentence: “This note was a promise
that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the inalienable
rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The three words "life," "liberty," and
"happiness" are often associated with each other in political discourse and are commonly
referred to as the "inalienable rights'' or "unalienable rights'' in the United States Constitution.
The use of this phrase in the sentence emphasizes the idea that these rights are fundamental
and cannot be taken away by any government or individual. Additionally, the use of the
adjective "inalienable" further emphasizes the unchangeable nature of human rights.

D. An example of the practical application of collocations to debaters.

King's use of collocations in his speech demonstrates how selecting the appropriate
collocations can enhance the persuasive power of a message. The careful selection of
collocations, whether they are grammatical or lexical, can add credibility and authority to a
message and reinforce the intended meaning. In fact, debaters can learn from King's use of
collocations to improve their persuasive abilities by carefully selecting and effectively using
collocations in their debates.

For example, a debater is arguing in favor of gun control measures. They could use the
collocation "gun violence" and “fatal firearm injuries” to justify their argument. By using this
collocation repeatedly throughout their speech, they are able to create a strong association in
the audience's mind between guns, violence and deaths, which can be a powerful persuasive
tool.

They might say something like, "The devastating effects of gun violence are all around us.
We see it in the news every day, in the lives lost and families torn apart. Many victims of fatal
firearm injuries die immediately at the scene. It's time to take action to prevent these tragedies
and protect our communities." By using the collocations such as "gun violence" and “fatal
firearm injuries”, the debater is able to convey their message in a concise and impactful way,
making their argument more persuasive. In this way, they can maximize the chances of
defeating their opponents.

2. The practice of Discourse Grammar in writing essays, especially IELTS Writing Task
GAME (Lan)
Now, before analyzing the practice of Discourse Grammar in writing essays, especially
IELTS Writing, let’s star with a game called the Matching Game

*Point to slide

I will divide the class into 2 teams, you are gonna be team 1 and the remaining is team 2
*hand gesture.
And each team will receive cards with the name of references *raising cards
[Do you guy all know about the references?]

Members of team will take turns to go to the board and stick the cards to their definitions
*hand gesture

The fastest and most correct team will answer my extra question. If you can answer correctly,
you will receive a gift

*** handout the cards

Team 1 and Team 22222. Are you guys all ready for the game?

1…2…3… Let’s start

… 5 minutes

Thank you for 2 teams, let check the answer from team 1 first. Well, it is all correct the team 1
is also the the fastest. How about team 2? let’s see

Congratulation on two team *clap

Now, because team X is the fastest and the most correct team, so you will answer my extra
question on the slide. Please identify the types of references in the following examples

Can I invite the student in last desk to answer for the first sentence. …
How about the second, …
Let’s see the answer on the slide. Well, you guys all did do great, in the first sentence, we
have “her” and “she” refer back to “cook”, while “it” refers back to the “apron”. In the second
sentence, we have “her” refers forward to “my mother”.

You can receive snacks from me

Thank you two team for participating the game!

We have done a game about reference, especially about the anaphora and cataphora which are
also our analysis today. We all know that Endophoric reference comprising Anaphoric and
Cataphoric references. They are all describe the items referring to the word mentioned earlier
and later in the text correspondingly.

Now, let’s analyze the IELTS Writing essay task 2 with Trinh

(Trinh)
2.1. IELTS
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most popular
English language proficiency test jointly owned by the British Council; IDP IELTS; and
Cambridge University Press & Assessment. for higher education and global migration. This is
designed to help test-takers work, study or migrate to a country where English is the native
language. This includes countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the
USA.
Candidates’ ability to listen, read, write, and speak in English will be assessed during the test.
IELTS is graded on a scale of 1-9. There are two IELTS tests available – IELTS Academic or
IELTS General Training. In this assignment, IELTS Academic, which measures whether
takers' level of English language proficiency is suitable for an academic environment, will be
the focus of the study. It reflects aspects of academic language and evaluates whether they are
ready to begin training or studying.
https://www.ielts.org/about-ielts/what-is-ielts
https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/what-ielts
2.2. IELTS Writing Task 2
IELTS Writing Task 2, which is a formal essay, requires candidates to write an essay in response
to a statement, or premise.
According to Task 2 Descriptors (public version), papers will be marked according to 4 different
categories namely Task response, Coherence and cohesion, Lexical resources and Grammatical
range and accuracy. However, this study will only focus on the second category of the test.
https://ielts.idp.com/vietnam/prepare/article-ielts-writing-task-2-7-steps-to-band-7/en-gb
https://www.ielts.org/-/media/pdfs/writing-band-descriptors-task-2.ashx

2.3. IELTS Simon

IELTS Simon’s real name is Simon Corcoran. He has been an English teacher since 1998, and
he has been known as ‘IELTS Simon’ since 2009, when he began writing daily IELTS lessons
on his blog ielts-simon.com.
At that time, he was teaching at the University of Manchester in the UK. He had been an
IELTS examiner for both writing and speaking, and IELTS lessons were beginning to
dominate his teaching schedule. The blog was a way to save and share his work.
From all of his writing samples on the blog, it is undeniable that he is truly a master of using
reference in order to achieve cohesion in Writing IELTS Task 2. In this study, we will focus
on his use of reference in one of his writing samples.

2.4. The use of Endophoric Reference in IELTS Writing Task 2 as a representative for
formal essay
A. Endophoric Reference
Endophoric reference includes both Anaphoric and Cataphoric references, which describe
items referring to the word mentioned earlier and later in the text correspondingly.

B. Simon’s Sample
“Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and
ages together. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?”
It is often said that music has the power to unite and connect people, regardless of their
cultural backgrounds or ages. I completely agree with this view, and will give my reasons
below.
Music can certainly reach across cultural and national boundaries and bring people together.
Perhaps the best example of this would be the Live Aid concerts that took place back in the
1980s, and which were broadcast to a global audience. Two live events were held
simultaneously in the UK and the US, and the objective was to raise funds for famine relief in
Ethiopia. The concerts were a huge success, both in terms of the number of people around the
world who watched them and their impact on international public awareness of the famine.
They demonstrated, I believe, that music truly is the planet’s global language.
Just as it transcends cultures, music also has the ability to connect people from different
generations. Regardless of age, we can all enjoy a memorable melody, a strong rhythm or a
beautiful singing voice, and the best songs seem to have the same magical effect on all of us.
This would explain why televised music competitions, such as ‘The X Factor’ or ‘The Voice’,
are such popular prime-time shows. These programmes attract incredibly broad audiences
because singing and popular songs appeal to children, parents and grandparents alike. I would
argue that no other form of entertainment can bring families together in this way.
In conclusion, I believe that music is unique in its capacity to create shared experiences
between people, irrespective of culture and age.

C. The use of Endophoric Reference in the sample

As it can be observed from the text, in Simon’s writing, endophoric reference is applied in
almost all of his sentences. Although this essay also uses different kinds of references such as
sub-types of lexical references, this appointment will only focus on enodophora.
He uses anaphoric references to connect the clauses in one sentence. One typical example
of this is “people” and “their” in the first sentence.
He uses anaphoric references to connect two sentences. The first noticeable example is the
use of “this” to refer to the previous sentence. Another example is the link between the two
sentences using “televised music competitions” and “These programmes”.
He uses anaphoric references to connect the ideas throughout the whole paragraph. In the
first body paragraph, the controlling idea is about a music concert and this idea is mentioned
constantly. This is done by using phrases that indicate “Live Aid concerts” in the whole
paragraph.
He uses a cataphoric reference to connect the clauses in one sentence. In the sentence: “Just
as it transcends cultures, music also has the ability to connect people from different
generations.”, the former colored word is the reference of the latter.

D. The real-life use of reference

As it is analyzed above, references help connect the meaning of sentences and even
paragraphs together, creating cohesion just like is stated in the theory. However, that is just its
general use in Discourse and Grammar; its real-world impact is much more significant.
As mentioned above, cohesion takes up 25% of the total Writing score; therefore, mastering
the use of references especially endophoric references may guarantee 25% of getting high
results in Writing. This can also serve as a foundation for candidates to achieve the target
IELTS band since Writing also accounts for 25% of the result. Therefore, they may get the
certificate they need to serve their personal purposes.
A more significant impact of this lies in the practice of writing formal essays. IELTS is
previously mentioned in the paper to be representative of formal writing, especially in
academic environments. This is because every English-based course in universities or
colleges requires students to write at least one academic paper as an assessment for each
course. Therefore, using references efficiently can be a great advantage for undergraduates
and even postgraduates in pursuing their academic path.

Thank you so much for listening. We hope that our presentation is informative enough for you
to understand more about the relationship between discourse and grammar and its applications
in authentic situations. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask us,
we are always pleased to answer.
Below are the references that we have used to make the presentation.

References
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