Applied Linguistics that I have chosen

What is Applied Linguistics?

The term 'applied linguistics' refers to a broad range of activities which involve solving some language-related problem or addressing some language-related concern. 

Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of linguistics that identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, psychology, computer science, communication research, anthropology, and sociology. 

Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of linguistics. Major branches of applied linguistics include bilingualism and multilingualism, conversation analysis, contrastive linguistics, sign linguistics, language assessment, literacies, discourse analysis, language pedagogy, second language acquisition, lexicography, language planning and policy, interlinguistics, stylistics, pragmatics, forensic linguistics and translation.

In studying of Applied linguistics, I'm interested to study about Discourse Analysis.

What is Discourse Analysis?

Discourse Analysis: 

• Wikipedia: “a general term for a number of approaches to analyzing written, spoken, signed language use or any significant semiotic event. 
Discourse analysis is both an old and a new discipline. Its origins can be traced back to the study of language, public speech, and literature more than 2000 years ago.

Discourse Analysis devided into :

1. Spoken Discourse Analysis: study of conversations, dialogues, spoken monologues, etc.

2. Written Discourse Analysis: study of written texts, such as : essays, news, political speeches, etc.

The purpose studying of discourse analysis :

1. As linguists, to find out how language works, to improve our understanding of an important kind of human activity
2. As educators, to find out how good texts work, so that we can focus on teaching our students these writing/speaking strategies.
3. As critical analists, to discover meanings in the text which are not obvious on the surface (e.g., analysing a politician’s speech to see their preconceptions).

How to do a discourse analysis :

• Things to look for :

1. Hidden relations of power present in the article
2. Who is exercising the power, that is, whose discourse are being presented
3. Who are consulted for the article (who are the spokes people)
4. Who is the "ideal subject" or audience for this article
5. What is left unspecified or unsaid
6. The use of passive voice, or processes expressed as "things" (reification).
7. The use of colourful, descriptive language (adjectives) to indicate a strong discourse.

• Ask these questions :

1. Would alternative wording of the same information have resulted in a different discourse being privileged?
2. How are the events presented?
3. How are people in the article characterised?
4. What message does the author intend you to get from the article?
5. Why was this particular picture chosen to accompany the article (if applicable)?
6. What repetition exists (a)within the article and (b) between different article on the same topic?
7. What professional media practices assist with the presentation of dominant discourses (eg. editorial constraints, journalistic standards, etc)?

Sources :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_linguistics

http://www.slideshare.net/guestfca522/how-to-do-a-discourse-analysis

http://web.uam.es/departamentos/filoyletras/filoinglesa/Courses/DA2011/DA-2011-class1.pdf

http://www.discourses.org/OldArticles/Discourse%20Analysis%20as%20a%20new%20Cross-Discipline.pdf