DISCOURSE

• Discourse is a formal and often lengthy discussion of a topic, where concepts and insights are arranged in an organized and logical manner
• Discourse comes from the word "discursus" in medieval Latin, meaning "argument," and in late Latin, meaning "conversation"
• A discourse usually serves as a writer’s or a scholar’s analysis of a concept or theory proposed by another writer
• One example of a discourse is the critique, which states a writer’s opinion about the good and the bad parts of another piece of writing or a work of art
• Purposes of a discourse:

  • To inform: provides a descriptive and comprehensive discussion on the topic, pointing out what one should know about a topic or subject
  • To persuade: aims to convince the readers that the proposed claim or solution is better than any other proposal
  • To entertain: aims to amuse and provide a source of entertainment for its readers
• Analyzing a discourse is usually contextual
• Culture may influence the author’s perspective on several issues

  Social environment and the culture of the time may have influenced the author’s writing

  Personal accounts or firsthand experience of events establish credibility and reliability of information presented in any discourse
• Types of discourse:

  • Argumentation: making and presenting arguments to persuade the audience or readers
  • Description: based on the main impression of the author about the topic or subject, transmitting that impression through concrete, colorful, and vivid language
  • Exposition: aims to inform about, clarify, and explain a phenomenon, providing an in-depth discussion about topics that are usually less explored
  • Narration: storytelling, recalling events chronologically to relate a series of events
• Literary discourse:

  • Poetic: focuses on how language is used to form themes and convey ideologies, found in creative works like poems, novels, short stories, and plays
  • Expressive: a personal narrative found in academic journals, letters, diaries, and blogs, typically written in the first-person point of view
  • Transactional: directive in nature, found in instructional materials, advertisements, and editorial articles, providing detailed information on how something is done or achieved
• Academic discourse is expository or argumentative in nature, presenting an individual’s insights regarding a concept or method in a scholarly way
• Differences between Academic and Literary Discourses:

  • Academic discourse uses formal language and the third-person point of view, maintaining an objective tone and avoiding figures of speech and biased language
  • Examples of academic discourse include academic essays, journals, book reviews, synthesis, literature review, and research
• General Format of Academic Discourse:

  • Introduction: states the significance of the topic and the issues that need to be addressed
  • Body: discusses the methods of gathering information and presents the findings
  • Conclusion: reiterates the claims, asserts the stand, and includes insights and recommendations for further studies