ENGLISH DISCOURSE

CHAPTER 5

Jhona May V. Castillo Mrs. Remedios Montero

BSED-II
DISCOURSE
■ Discourse is any written or
spoken communication.
Discourse can also be described
as the expression of thought
through language. While
discourse can refer to the
smallest act of communication,
the analysis can be quite
complex. Several scholars in
many different disciplines have
theorized about the different
types and functions of discourse.
■ The word discourse comes
from the Latin word
discursus, which means
“running to and fro”.
■ The definition of discourse thus
comes from this physical act of
transferring information “to
and fro” the way a runner
might.
 DISCOURSE STRUCTURE

It is a term use to describe the way in which an entire text

is organized – for example, how language is used in poem,
in a newspaper article, or in a speech designed to read
aloud.
Types of Discourse

While every act of communication can count as an

example of discourse, some scholars have broken
discourse down into four primary types: argument,
narration, description, and exposition. Many acts of
communicate include more than one of these types in
quick succession.
 ARGUEMENT NARRATION

A form of communication
meant to convince an This form of
audience that the writer communication tells a
or speaker is correct, story, often with emotion
using evidence and and empathy involved.
reason.
 DESCRIPTION EXPOSITION

It is used to inform the

A form of communication
audience of something
that relies on the five
with relatively neutral
senses to help the
language, i.e., it’s not
audience visualize
meant to persuade or
something.
evoke emotion.
 Other literary scholars have divided types of discourse into three categories:
expressive, poetic, and transactional….

1. Expressive discourse comprises 2. Poetic discourse comprises creative, fictional

those acts of literary writing that is
creative, yet non-fiction. This could
include memoirs, letters, or online
blogs.
writing. Poetic discourse includes novels,
poems, and drama. These types of work often
prioritize emotion, imagery, theme, and
character development, as well as the use of
literary devices like metaphor and symbolism.

3. Transactional discourse is used to propel

something into action, such as advertising
motivating a customer to buy, or showing a
customer how to use a product via a manual.
This type of discourse generally does not rely
so much on literary devices.
SPOKEN DISCOURSE
Spoken Discourse is the ongoing, situated
interpretation of a speaker’s communicative intentions,
of which the addressee’s expected and actual reactions
are an integral part. The creation of discourse is thus a
joint endeavor, involving the active cooperation of all
the participants.
 FEATURES OF DISCOURSE
■ COHESION – IT OCCURS WHERE THE INTERPRETATION OF ANY
ITEM IN ATEXT OR DISCOURSE REQUIRES THE MAKING OF A
REFERENCE TO SOME OTHER ITEM IN THE SAME TEXT OR
DISCOURSE
■ COHERENCE – COHERENCE IN LINGUISTICS IS WHAT MAKES A
TEXT SEMANTICALLY MEANINGFUL.
■ DISCOURSE MARKERS – ARE WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS THAT
LINK, MANAGE AND HELP TO ORGANIZE SENENCES. THEY
CONNECT WHAT IS WRITTEN OR SAID WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
THEY MAKE NO CHANGE TO THE MEANING.
■ PARALINGUISTICS FEATURES – BODY LANGUAGE,GESTURES,
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS,TONE AND PITCH OF VOICE ARE ALL
EXAMPLES OF PARALINGUISTICS FEATURES.