LINGUIST List 14.1184

Fri Apr 25 2003

Qs: Lang Description, Discourse Analysis

Editor for this issue: Renee Galvis <reneelinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Kathy Snow \(Volt\), National Language Differentiation
2. Satya Reva, discourse analysis for magazine article?

I have been researching the topic of national language differentiation
in connection with such phenomena as the development of Macedonian as
a legitimate (?) national language and the recent attempts to develop
a true international form of Spanish. Can anyone point me to any
literature that deals with such questions. I am particularly
interested in the European languages but would welcome examples from
other language families.
		
Historically, the need to distinguish "us" from "them" has obviously
been a factor in language differentiation. This can take the form of
the political need to distinguish foreigners (and therefore enemies)
or a snobbish exclusion of the people who are not "in the group" that
talks a certain way. In either case, prestige plays a large part,
whether national (or local) pride or fashionability.
		



	
				
			
		
	

	
My name is Rini and I'm studying communication science at Gajdah Mada
University, Indonesia. Right now I'm doing a research to get my
degree. I'm analyzing the construction of relation between men&women
in an article of Cosmopolitan Indonesia magazine. I'm using discourse
analysis in this research. First I used Teun A. Van Dijk model but my
lecturer said that his model not suitable for analyzing my object
because its for news not for article. Then I tried to use Norman
Fairclough's media discourse analysis model but my lecturer still not
agreed. He thought that a magazine article isn't media discourse
because it's not written by journalist or reporter inside the media,
but by contributor outside the media.

Could you please in anyway suggest the right method of discourse
analysis which is suitable for my research.

Thank you for your help.