ACADEMIC DISCOURSE

• Definition of Discourse:

  • Comes from the word "discursus" in medieval Latin meaning "argument" and in late Latin meaning "conversation"
• Critique:

  • One example of a discourse that states a writer's opinion about the good and bad parts of another piece of writing or a work of art
• Diary:

  • Another example of discourse that is a daily record of someone's personal experiences and thoughts
• Purposes of a Discourse:

  • To inform: provides a descriptive and comprehensive discussion on the topic, points out what one should know about a topic or subject
  • To persuade: tries to convince the readers that the proposed claim or solution is better than any other proposal, tries to convince the readers to believe in or do something
  • To entertain: aims to amuse its readers, provides a source of entertainment for its readers
• Analyzing a Discourse:

  • Consider several factors that may have influenced the writer to make certain claims
• Culture:

  • The beliefs, customs, attitudes, language, and other things that define culture may influence the author's perspective on several issues
• Social Environment:

  • The author's physical surroundings and social relationships, as well as the culture of the time may have influenced his or her writing
  • For instance, during the early decades of the 20th century, most writers produced works that were classified as "modern" because of a distinct feature: stream of consciousness
• Experiences:

  • Personal accounts or firsthand experience of events, though subjective, establish credibility and reliability of information presented in any discourse
• Discourse

  Formal and often lengthy discussion of a topic, where concepts and insights are arranged in an organized and logical manner
• Culture

  Knowing about the author's culture may help the reader understand his or her biases
• Analyzing a discourse

  Factors explain the author's biases, philosophy, and educational and professional backgrounds, among others
• To inform

  provides a descriptive and comprehensive discussion on the topic, points out what one should know about a topic or subject
• To persuade

  tries to convince the readers that the proposed claim or solution is better than any other proposal, tries to convince the readers to believe in or do something
• To entertain

  aims to amuse its readers, provides a source of entertainment for its readers
• Diary

  Gives readers a sense of the writer's character or values
• Critique

  Uses formal language
• Critique

  Contains ideas that are arranged in an organized and logical manner
• Literary discourse

  creative works such as poetry, short stories, novels, plays, and even nonfiction
• Literary discourse

  texts that are used strictly for business communication such as letters, memos, and resumes
• Types literary discourse

  • Poetic
  • Expressive
  • Transactional
• directive


  transactiona l discourse is ________ in nature
• Transactional


  This type of discourse is commonly found in instructional materials, advertisements, and editorial articles, among others
• first-person point


  expressive discourse is a personal narrative and is typically written in the______________ of view.
• expressive


  This type of discourse is commonly found in academic journals, letters, diaries,and blogs
• explicit


  expressed clearly in a statement
• implied


  ______ is used especially poems
• poetic


  It focuses on how language is used to form themes and convey ideologies
• poetic


  This type of discourse is commonly found in creative works like poems, novels, short stories, and plays
• literary discourse


  Also, it includes texts that are used strictly for business communication such as letters, memos, and resumes.
• literary discourse


  generally focused on creative works such as poetry, short stories, novels, plays, and even nonfiction.
• conclusion


  In this part, the writer reiterates the claims and asserts his or her stand. He or she may include insights and recommendations for further studies.
• body


  In this part, the writer discusses the methods of gathering information. He or she then presents the findings and interprets them. Moreover, he or she formulates arguments and supports them with evidence.
• introduction


  In this part, the writer states the significance of the topic and the issues that need to be addressed. Also, the writer mentions the objectives of the discourse and how it may be beneficial or detrimental
• introduction

  body

  conclusion


  general format of academic discourses
• academic discourse


  Its examples include academic essays, journals, book reviews, synthesis, literature review, and research, among others.
• formal, third


  it uses ________ language and _________ person point of view
• objective tone


  academic discourse maintain an
• academic journals and essays

  Academic discourse includes
• academic discourse


  is expository or argumentative in nature. Sometimes, it presents an individual's insights regarding a concept or method in a scholarly way.