Critical Discourse Analysis : Comparative Perspectives on Contradictory Arguments

  • Published : 1998.08.05

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to take a look at a controversial approach to critical discourse analysis for the suggestion of a well-balanced perspective on such a biased presupposition and methodology. Currently linguists, language teachers and even social scientists have shown their strong interests in critical language awareness and its ideological involvements in order to encourage the general public to realize the social function of language in all modes of communication. It seems, however, to me to be increasingly clear that critical language study calls for a careful attempt based on an appropriate combination of textual facts and contextual factors in the interpretation of discourses. From this point, of view, this paper suggests some pedagogic / analytical guidelines for a study on language and its social connotations as a result of examining the cogency of two contrasting argumentations in relation to critical discourse analysis.

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