Language as Discourse

Language in its social context

Social conditions of production

Process of production

Text

Process of interpretation Interactio n

Social conditions of interpretation Contex t

Discourse as text, interaction and context (Source: Fairclough, 2001, p. 21)

DISCOURSE AS SOCIAL PRACTICE Saussures theory of language as consisting of langue and parole langue: Shared system or code that underlies language use Same for everyone in a language community Social system of language Unitary, uniform and homogeneous through the community parole: Language we actually speak or write Differs from person to person (individualistic) Subject to individual choice (not socially determined) *Linguistics is concerned with langue, not parole.

Faircloughs theory (after Halliday): Language is socially shaped Variation caused by social identities, roles, setting, purposes, relationships, interactions, etc.

languages are socially (re) constructed languages are standardised for cultural, economic, political, religious, etc reasons

 unequal power relations in common access to languages standardisation imposed by people who have power E.g. discourse of national languages in nation-states Language conventions are characterised by diversity and power struggles

Language and Discourse Discourse = Language as social practice determined by social structures Discourse = Language (Text) + Interaction (MR) + Context (Social Conditions) Discourse = Language as social practice 1. Language is part of society, not something outside it 2. Language is a social process 3. Language is socially conditioned i.e. shaped by other non-linguistic parts of society

Discourse and Orders of Discourse Orders of discourse = Sets of conventions associated with social institutions Conventions = Rules, principles, codes of behaviour Social institutions = Practices, organizations, relationships, etc in society/culture

Class and Power in Capitalist Society Orders of discourse: ideologically shaped i.e. established and maintained because there are ideologies supporting them Underlying power relations in social institutions (re)produce ideologies

Dialectic of Structures and Practices Discourse (mainly language) is socially constituted (Social structures shape discourse) Discourse is socially constitutive (Discourse shapes social structures) Process of social continuity and social change