Subject: Discourse Analysis
Unit 2 Assingment 1
Learner: Yanina Salgueiro
Deadline: April 13th
1- Analyze each of the elements of communication and its corresponding macro
functions in the following dialogue:
A: Good afternoon. You must be Mr. Johnston. I’m Mr. Chu.
B: Mr. Chu! Good afternoon…uh…I mean, nin hao.
A: Sorry? Ah! Nin hao. That’s very nice of you Mr. Johnston, but, we both speak good
English.
B: I noticed, and I’m very happy to hear it Mr. Chu, because I don’t know more than that.
A: But thank you anyway for your consideration. Let me introduce my colleague, Mr. Deng.
C: It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Johnston.
B: It’s nice to meet you too Mr. Deng. But please, call me Mike.
C: Ok…Mike
B: Now let’s get a porter to take your baggage to the car…
2- According to Jacobson and Hymes, language is categorized into seven macro
functions: motive function, directive function, phatic function, poetic function,
referential function, metalinguistic function and contextual function. Choose one of
these macro functions and subdivide it specifying its micro functions as in the
example of the subdivision of the directive function from the unit.
Addresser: At first, you may think that Mr. Chu is the addresser, because he is the first one that initiates
the dialogue. However he is not the one who opens the channel. By waiting at the place which may be an
airport , Mr Jhonston is already communicating. Later Mr Chu greets Mr Jhonston so he takes part in the
dialogue as the role of the addressor.
(Motive Function)
Addresse: Mr Jhonston and Mr Chu. (Directive Function)
The channel: Sound waves. (Phatic Function)
Message Form: A formal dialogue with short statements. (Poetic Function)
Topic: To welcome, greet and introduce the participants. (Referential Function)
The code: English spoken language and just a word in Japanese. (Metalinguistic Function)
The setting: According to the dialogue I can deduce that the physical context is an airport, and in the
Social context, the participants are just acquaintances because they are being polite with each other.
( Contextual Function)
2)
Inner States
Emotions
EMOTIVE FUNCTION
MOTIVE
Feelings
Greetings
Introductions
You should go on subdividing one of the subdivisions. For example, Feelings or any other you choose.
Feedback:
Yanina,
Your analysis of the elements of communication and its corresponding macro functions is good! However,
the second part of the task is incomplete as I mentioned before. You don’t have to do the task again, but
please try to complete the missing part and let me know if you have any doubts about it.
Cinthia