Week 6: Doing Critical Discourse
Analysis
EDUC2029
Anticipatory set
Noun Group:
• Deictic (pointer)
• Numerative (how
many?)
• Qualifier (what quality?)
• Classifier (what type?)
• Thing
• Post-modifier (what
else?)
Identify the parts of these noun groups:
1. The subtle science of potion-making
2. (there is) little foolish wand-waving
3. The beauty of the soft simmering
cauldron with its shimmering fumes
4. The delicate power of liquids that creep
through human veins, bewitching the
mind, ensnaring the senses
Anticipatory set: answers
Deictic
Num.
The
little
Qualifier
Thing
Post-modifier
subtle
science
of potion-making
foolish
wandwaving
The
The
delicate
Classifier
beauty
of the soft…fumes
power
of liquids
that…senses
Anticipatory set: answers
• The beauty of the soft simmering cauldron with its
shimmering fumes
– The soft simmering cauldron
– Its shimmering fumes
• The delicate power of liquids that creep through human
veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses
– Liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the
mind, ensnaring the senses
– Human veins
– The mind
– The senses
Aims
• To ‘do’ some Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
• To review grammatical resources covered so
far
• To introduce you to the resources of Appraisal
• To clarify the second assignment
Outline
•
•
•
•
•
Anticipatory set: reviewing noun groups
Assignment Two
Analysing a text about school
Appraisal
Conclusion: ‘homework’ and the tutorial
Assignment 2
CDA (Critical Discourse Analysis) of
Policy Document
Topic
• Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Policy
Document
• Select a text – to be approved by me ASAP
– One page or a section from a policy document in your
main subject for teaching, e.g. English, Science,
History
– See Education Queensland (EQ), Queensland Study
Authority (QSA) or Australian Curriculum, Assessment
and Reporting Authority (ACARA) websites  Google
– Supply original of page or a good copy along with
citation  appendix to assignment
Content
• Part One: Analysis – see guide questions on
assignment description
• Part Two: Summary/Conclusions
Criteria
• Knowledge of the key concepts
• Function of grammatical features in text to
give meanings that represent the world
• Understanding/discussion of text’s ideological
foundations, their relevance to education
• Quality of writing
Fairclough’s dimension of discourse
and discourse analysis
Explanation: why
is it this way?
(social analysis)
Interpretation:
what does it all
mean?
(processing
analysis)
Conditions of production & interpretation
Socio
cultural
practice
Process of production &
interpretation
Text
Situational
Discourse
practice
Institutional
Societal
Description: what does it look
like? (text analysis)
Doing CDA
Severus Snape and the Sinister
Systems of Text
Fairclough’s dimension of discourse
and discourse analysis
Conditions of production & interpretation
Socio
cultural
practice
Process of production &
interpretation
Text
Situational
Institutional
Societal
Discourse
practice
Fairclough’s dimension of discourse
and discourse analysis
Explanation: why
is it this way?
(social analysis)
Interpretation:
what does it all
mean?
(processing
analysis)
Conditions of production & interpretation
Socio
cultural
practice
Process of production &
interpretation
Text
Situational
Discourse
practice
Institutional
Societal
Description: what does it look
like? (text analysis)
Developing a metalanguage
Systems of
choice
Subject matter
Participant
Process
Circumstance
Noun group
Roles and
relationships
Mode and
medium
Mood
Modality
Theme and
Rheme
Appraisal
Cohesion
Severus Snape and the Sinister Systems of Text
• What do you know about Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone? What do you know about the
series?
• How do you feel personally about the book/series?
• Do you like Professor Snape? Why or why not?
• How judgements do you make about the value/worth
of the book/series?
And finally:
• How should teachers ‘run’ classrooms’?
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Professor Severus Snape is addressing a class for the first time:
‘You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of
potion-making,’ he began. He spoke in barely more than a
whisper, but they caught every word – like Professor
McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent
without effort. ‘As there is little foolish wand-waving here,
many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don’t expect you
will really understand the beauty of the soft simmering
cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of
liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind,
ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame,
brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren’t as big a bunch of
dunderheads as I usually have to teach.’
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Professor Severus Snape is addressing a class for the
first time: ‘You are here to learn the subtle
science and exact art of potion-making,’ he
began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper,
but they caught every word – like Professor
McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a
class silent without effort. ‘As there is little
foolish wand-waving here, many of you will
hardly believe this is magic. I don’t expect you
will really understand the beauty of the soft
simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes,
the delicate power of liquids that creep through
human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring
the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame,
brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren’t as
big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to
teach.’
• Cultural context
– What “Club/s” are we in?
(Multiple)
– Genre and purpose?
• Social context
– What’s it about?
– Who is writing for whom? What
relationships are being
established?
– What’s the mode: written,
spoken, visual, audio, gestural,
spatial?
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Professor Severus Snape is addressing a class for the
first time: ‘You are here to learn the subtle
science and exact art of potion-making,’ he
began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper,
but they caught every word – like Professor
McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a
class silent without effort. ‘As there is little
foolish wand-waving here, many of you will
hardly believe this is magic. I don’t expect you
will really understand the beauty of the soft
simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes,
the delicate power of liquids that creep through
human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring
the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame,
brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren’t as
big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to
teach.’
• What aspects of language
stand out for you?
Developing a metalanguage
Systems of
choice
Subject matter
Participant
Process
Circumstance
Noun group
Roles and
relationships
Mode and
medium
Mood
Modality
Theme and
Rheme
Appraisal
Cohesion
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Processes
Professor Severus Snape is addressing a class for the first time: ‘You
are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making,’
he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught
every word – like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of
keeping a class silent without effort. ‘As there is little foolish wandwaving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don’t
expect you will (really) understand the beauty of the soft
simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power
of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind,
ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew
glory, even stopper death – if you aren’t as big a bunch of
dunderheads as I usually have to teach.’
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Processes
Process types
Snape
Doing
Can teach
Have to teach
Being
Had
Saying
Began
Spoke
Thinking,
perceiving,
sensing
Don’t expect
Students
Other
Creep
Are
Is
Learn
Caught (i.e. heard)
Will (hardly) believe
Will (not really)
understand
Bewitching
Ensnaring
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Theme
‘You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making,’
he began.
He spoke in barely more than a whisper,
but they caught every word –
like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without
effort.
‘As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this
is magic.
I don’t expect
you will really understand the beauty of the soft simmering cauldron with its
shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human
veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…
I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you
aren’t as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.’
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Theme
I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory,
even stopper death – if you aren’t as big a
bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to
teach.
What’s the purpose of the dash?
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Mood
•
‘You are here to learn the subtle science
and exact art of potion-making,’ he
began. He spoke in barely more than a
whisper, but they caught every word –
like Professor McGonagall, Snape had
the gift of keeping a class silent without
effort. ‘As there is little foolish wandwaving here, many of you will hardly
believe this is magic. I don’t expect you
will really understand the beauty of the
soft simmering cauldron with its
shimmering fumes, the delicate power
of liquids that creep through human
veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring
the senses…I can teach you how to
bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper
death – if you aren’t as big a bunch of
dunderheads as I usually have to teach.’
• Statements
(Declarative Mood)
• Questions
(Interrogative Mood)
• Commands
(Imperative Mood)
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Mood
‘Potter!’ said Snape suddenly. ‘What would I get if I added powdered
root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?’
Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron,
who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione’s hand had shot into
the air.
‘I don’t know, sir,’ said Harry.
Snape’s lip curled into a sneer.
‘Tut, tut – fame clearly isn’t everything.’
He ignored Hermione’s hand.
‘Let’s try again, Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a
bezoar?’
… ‘I don’t know, sir.’
‘Thought you wouldn’t open a book before coming, eh, Potter?’
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Mood
Snape was still ignoring Hermione’s quivering hand.
‘What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and
wolfsbane?
At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the
dungeon ceiling.
‘I don’t know,’ said Harry quietly. ‘I think Hermione does, though,
why don’t you try her?’
A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus’s eye and Seamus
winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.
‘Sit down,’ he snapped at Hermione. ‘For your information, Potter,
asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so
powerful…’ etc etc…
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Mood
Snape
Interrogative (question – known answer)
Harry
Interrogative (question to self – unknown answer)
Declarative (statement made aloud – response to Snape)
Snape
Declarative (statement)
Imperative (command), Interrogative (question – known answer)
Harry
Declarative (statement – response to Snape)
Snape
Interrogative (rhetorical question)
Interrogative (question – known answer)
Harry
Declarative (statement – response to Snape)
Interrogative (question – known answer)
Snape
Imperative (command)
Declarative (series of statements answering most of his own questions)
From Chapter 8: The Potions Master
Mood
• What role does Snape have? How does he use
language to establish and maintain
relationships with Harry and other students?
• What role does Harry have? How does Harry
use language to establish and maintain
relationships with Snape – and other
students?
• Who has the power?
Putting it altogether
Professor Severus Snape is addressing a class for the
first time: ‘You are here to learn the subtle
science and exact art of potion-making,’ he
began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper,
but they caught every word – like Professor
McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a
class silent without effort. ‘As there is little
foolish wand-waving here, many of you will
hardly believe this is magic. I don’t expect you
will really understand the beauty of the soft
simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes,
the delicate power of liquids that creep through
human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring
the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame,
brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren’t as
big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to
teach.’
• Cultural context
– What “Club/s” are we in? Their
values/beliefs/ assumptions/
theories (ideology)?
– Genre and purpose?
• Social context
– What’s it about?
– Who is writing for whom? What
relationships are being
established?
Fairclough’s dimension of discourse
and discourse analysis
Explanation: why
is it this way?
(social analysis)
Interpretation:
what does it all
mean?
(processing
analysis)
Conditions of production & interpretation
Socio
cultural
practice
Process of production &
interpretation
Text
Situational
Discourse
practice
Institutional
Societal
Description: what does it look
like? (text analysis)
Is this all starting to make sense?
Introducing Appraisal
Developing a metalanguage
Systems of
choice
Subject matter
Participant
Process
Circumstance
Noun group
Roles and
relationships
Mode and
medium
Mood
Modality
Theme and
Rheme
Appraisal
Cohesion
Developing a metalanguage
Systems of
choice
Subject matter
Participant
Process
Circumstance
Noun group
Roles and
relationships
Mode and
medium
Mood
Modality
Theme and
Rheme
Appraisal
Cohesion
Appraisal: Overview
“Appraisal can be simply defined as the
indication of whether the speaker thinks
that something (a person, thing, action,
event, situation, idea, etc.) is good or bad.”
(Thompson, 2004, p75)
Appraisal: Overview
According to P. R. White (2001), Appraisal (or
APPRAISAL) is:
An approach to exploring, describing and
explaining the way language is used to
evaluate, to adopt stances, to construct
textual personas and to manage interpersonal
positionings and relationships
Appraisal resources
• Affect (expressing emotions – ‘from the
heart’)
• Judgement (of people, things, ideas – ‘from
the head’)
• Graduation (turning the volume up and down)
• Engagement (one voice v many voices –
‘opening or closing the door’)
Activity: Whole group
See if you can spot the use of
the Appraisal system in
the following texts.
Thorpie the Great proves a great risk taker
With his skin tanned dark by the
Athens sun, long hair pulled
back in a top knot and sporting
the start of a beard, Ian
Thorpe looked, if not like a
Greek god, then at least like a
Greek general.
A very special Greek general. One
like Thorpe, an Olympian.
Conqueror of everything in his
path. Alexander the Great.
Thorpie the Great proves a great risk taker
There is more to Ian Thorpe than swimming. He is a young man of enormous
intellect. He enjoys yoga, philosophy and studying Greek history. And he
especially enjoys the reading of Alexander, king of Macedon, ruler of the
known world more than 2300 years ago.
It is not hard to draw comparisons between Thorpe and Alexander, two men in
their early 20s who came to Athens with similar intentions. One to rule a
country, the other a swimming pool. Both succeeded.
Thorpe is well aware of the story of Alexander. He knows how the story starts; he
knows how the story ends. With the young warrior sitting on a rock and crying
when he has no more lands to conquer…
from The Courier Mail, August 28, 2004, page 45
Thorpie the Great proves a great risk taker
Context?
• Genre
• Field (subject matter)
• Tenor (roles and
relationships: who is the
author? Who is meant to
read this?)
• Mode: written, spoken,
audio, gestural, spatial
Thorpie the Great proves a great risk taker
With his skin tanned dark by the
Athens sun, long hair pulled back in
a top knot and sporting the start of
a beard, Ian Thorpe looked, if not
like a Greek god, then at least like a
Greek general.
A very special Greek general. One like
Thorpe, an Olympian. Conqueror of
everything in his path. Alexander
the Great.
Thorpie the Great proves a great risk taker
There is more to Ian Thorpe than swimming. He is a young man of enormous
intellect. He enjoys yoga, philosophy and studying Greek history. And he
especially enjoys the reading of Alexander, king of Macedon, ruler of the
known world more than 2300 years ago.
It is not hard to draw comparisons between Thorpe and Alexander, two men in
their early 20s who came to Athens with similar intentions. One to rule a
country, the other a swimming pool. Both succeeded.
Thorpe is well aware of the story of Alexander. He knows how the story starts;
he knows how the story ends. With the young warrior sitting on a rock and
crying when he has no more lands to conquer…
from The Courier Mail, August 28, 2004, page 45
Thorpie the Great proves a great risk taker
•
•
•
•
•
•
Affect: happy/unhappy; secure/insecure; satisfaction
(Thorpie the Great)/dissatisfaction
Judgement: normality (looked like a Greek God…like
a Greek General; a very special Greek General…an
Olympian etc); capacity (conqueror of everything in
his path); tenacity; resolve; truth; ethics
Appreciation: reaction; composition (with his skin
etc…; looked like a Greek God…like a Greek General);
valuation
Grading: implicit; explicit [Like a Greek God..like a
Greek General – simile and repetition]
Modality: obligation; certainty; probability; usuality
[No modulation – so information is not called into
question.]
Attribution [Journalist’s voice only, but invokes
historians]
With his skin tanned dark by
the Athens sun, long hair
pulled back in a top knot
and sporting the start of a
beard, Ian Thorpe looked,
if not like a Greek god,
then at least like a Greek
general.
A very special Greek general.
One like Thorpe, an
Olympian. Conqueror of
everything in his path.
Alexander the Great.
Thorpie the Great proves a great
risk taker
• Affect: happy/unhappy; secure/insecure; satisfaction (Thorpie the
Great)/dissatisfaction
• Judgement: normality (looked like a Greek God…like a Greek General;
a very special Greek General…an Olympian etc); capacity (conqueror
of everything in his path); tenacity; resolve; truth; ethics
• Appreciation: reaction; composition (with his skin etc…; looked like a
Greek God…like a Greek General); valuation
• Grading: implicit; explicit [Like a Greek God..like a Greek General –
simile and repetition]
• Modality: obligation; certainty; probability; usuality [No modulation –
so information is not called into question.]
• Attribution [Journalist’s voice only, but invokes historical texts]
Thorpie the Great proves a great risk taker
There is more to Ian Thorpe than swimming. He
is a young man of enormous intellect. He
enjoys yoga, philosophy and studying Greek
history. And he especially enjoys the reading
of Alexander, king of Macedon, ruler of the
known world more than 2300 years ago.
It is not hard to draw comparisons between
Thorpe and Alexander, two men in their
early 20s who came to Athens with similar
intentions. One to rule a country, the other a
swimming pool. Both succeeded.
Thorpe is well aware of the story of Alexander.
He knows how the story starts; he knows
how the story ends. With the young warrior
sitting on a rock and crying when he has no
more lands to conquer…
•
•
•
•
•
•
Affect: happy/unhappy;
secure/insecure (young warrior sitting
on a rock and crying when he has no
more lands to conquer);
satisfaction/dissatisfaction
Judgement: normality (enjoys);
capacity (young; enormous intellect;
succeeded; not hard to draw
comparisons…); tenacity; resolve; truth;
ethics
Appreciation: reaction; composition;
valuation (crying) [Also see image]
Grading: implicit; explicit (enormous
intellect; especially enjoys; not hard to
draw comparisons between Thorpe and
Alexander)
Modality: obligation; certainty;
probability; usuality
Attribution
Thorpie the Great proves a great
risk taker
• Affect: happy/unhappy; secure/insecure (young warrior sitting on a
rock and crying when he has no more lands to conquer);
satisfaction/dissatisfaction
• Judgement: normality (enjoys); capacity (young; enormous
intellect; succeeded; not hard to draw comparisons…); tenacity;
resolve; truth; ethics
• Appreciation: reaction; composition; valuation (crying) [Also see
image]
• Grading: implicit; explicit (enormous intellect; especially enjoys; not
hard to draw comparisons between Thorpe and Alexander)
• Modality: obligation; certainty; probability; usuality
• Attribution
Thorpe tells of gay rumours
Swimmer Ian Thorpe says he is “flattered” by persistent – and
false – rumours about his sexuality.
The Olympic gold medallist and world champion swimmer also
says that two stalkers may have intended to blackmail him
with a videotape.
Speculation about Thorpe’s sexuality was based on inference and
shallow judgements, Thorpe told ABC Radio’s Sunday Profile
program.
from The Sunday Mail, 17 November 2002, page 25.
Thorpe tells of gay rumours
Swimmer Ian Thorpe says he is “flattered” by persistent – and
false – rumours about his sexuality.
The Olympic gold medallist and world champion swimmer also
says that two stalkers may have intended to blackmail him
with a videotape.
Speculation about Thorpe’s sexuality was based on inference and
shallow judgements, Thorpe told ABC Radio’s Sunday Profile
program.
from The Sunday Mail, 17 November 2002, page 25.
Back to Snape…
‘His eyes were black like
Hagrid’s, but they had none
of Hagrid’s warmth. They
were cold and empty and
made you think of dark
tunnels.’
• Affect (expressing
emotions – ‘from the
heart’)
• Judgement (of people,
things, ideas – ‘from the
head’)
• Graduation (turning the
volume up and down)
• Engagement (one voice v
many voices – ‘opening or
closing the door’)
Back to Snape…
‘His eyes were black like
Hagrid’s, but they had none
of Hagrid’s warmth. They
were cold and empty and
made you think of dark
tunnels.’
• Why is there a
comparison to Hagrid?
• Who is the you in made
you think of dark
tunnels? What is
assumed here?
Back to Snape…
How do you explain Snape’s expansion of noun groups when
discussing potion-making?
• ‘the beauty of the soft simmering cauldron with its shimmering
fumes’
• ‘the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins,
bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses’
How does this ‘fit’ with the other language used to construct
Snape by J. K. Rowling?
CDA…Declare yourself
Jim Martin and David Rose (2003): ‘It perhaps
should be stressed again here that appraisal
analysts do need to declare their reading
positions, in particular since the evaluation
one makes of evocations depends on the
institutional position one is reading from.’
More…
http://www.grammatics.com/appraisal/
See the Goatly reading
Questions?
Conclusion
“Homework” and Tutorial
• Homework: Find a text for analysis
• Tutorial:
– CDA of history texts
– Exploring reader positioning
References
Martin, J. R. and Rose, D. (2003). Working with discourse:
meaning beyond the clause. London” Continuum.
Thompson, G. (2004). Introducing Functional Grammar. London:
Arnold.