Roughly speaking, it refers to the attempts to study the organization of language above the sentence or above the clause, and therefore to study larger linguistics
units, such as conversational exchanges or written texts. It follows that discourse analysis is also concerned with language in use in social contexts, and in
particular interaction or dialogue between speakers. Discourse analysis is concerned with the study of the relationship
between language and the context in which it is used. It grew out of work in different disciplines in the 1960s and early 1970s, including linguistics, semiotics,
psychology, anthropology and sociology. Discourse analyst study language in used; written texts of all kinds and spoken data from conversation to highly
institutionalized forms of talk.
2.1.2 The Scope of Discourse Analysis
Discourse analysis is not only concerned with the description and analysis of spoken interaction. In addition to all our verbal encounters we daily
consume hundreds of written and printed words: newspaper articles, letters, stories, recipes, instructions, notices, comics, billboards leaflets pushed through
the door, and so on. We usually expect them to be coherent, meaningful communications in which the words andor sentences are linked to one another in
a fashion that corresponds to conventional formulae, just as we do with speech; therefore discourse analysts are equally interested in the organization of written
interaction.
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2.1.3 The Types of Discourse
Discourse can be classified into two kinds, namely: 1
Oral Discourse or Spoken Discourse It is a discourse which used the spoken text, such as conversation. By
oral discourse, we mean discourse which text is constructed in the real time. It means oral discourse is concerning some actual facts in the
present time. 2
Written Discourse It was formed by the written text written language. By written
discourse, we mean discourse which text is not constructed in the real time.
Briefly, these two types of discourse above can be distinguished according to the type of situation. Oral discourse is concerning face-to-face situation while a
recorded transmission situation involves in the written discourse. There are still other types of discourse which is important to be
distinguished namely interactive and non-interactive discourse. A definition of interaction, if it is to be used for the term of discourse, should be based on an
analysis on the type of role play by participants in the communication. It is called interactive discourse if each participant constructs only part of text, expressing a
number of fragments in alternation with the other participants. It is called non- interactive discourse if a single participant is responsible for the whole of the
discourse.
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Can both the oral and written discourse be both interactive and non- interactive? It is undutiful that the majority of oral discourse is interactive, since
this type of discourse is usually realized in face-to-face communicative situation which generally need the interactive participation of all present. In certain
situation, however, the oral discourse can be in non-interactive form, for example the political speech or lecturer, who is clarifying the subject of the lesson,
produces the whole discourse orally by him without any participation of the collegian.
On the other hand, a written discourse can also be interactive and continuity. For example: in the first letter, Bob writes to his uncle asking for help.
In the second letter, Bob’s uncle replies the help will be given at the exact time he needs. In the third letter, Bob thanks his uncle for the favor that was offered, and
mentions the time when he needs the help. These three kinds of letters are regarded as three ‘speaking turns’ which form the whole. This discourse is,
therefore, interactively coherent.
2.1.4. Properties of Discourse
