Teacher Discussion Forums

Hello

I wonder if anyone has answers to these questions:

1- To what extent can 'discourse analysis be useful to the language learner?
2- How can teachers implement a discourse analysis approach into efl courses?
3- If one is interested in this topic as a PhD thesis, what is the best starting point ?

1. Yes, definitely
2. There are plenty of books and articles out there you can read. Try Google or your nearest university library.
3. Ditto (2). If you're planning on doing a PhD, read up on the topic and decide yourself, with the aid of your tutor, what your line of research should be.

Good luck.

Any approach that helps the teacher be more aware of the use of language for communication might have application in the classroom (which is, among other things, the place that is supposed to foster language learning). Direct connections don't exist except in the minds and practices of capable practitioners. There is no mother lode of direct applicability in discourse, linguistics, or any other aspect of the formal analysis of texts and language. Discourse analysis, because of its rather low level of requirements to take up the topic academically, is all the rage in LT academia. Work at a PhD level would require the ability to produce...lots of convincing discourse.

I am studying discourse analysis at the moment, as part of a wider course. I can see how it is useful for the teacher, especially in course design, and understanding the students needs.

But how can it be used by the students?
Is it only suitable for advanced students?

I'm an undergraduate student, and I'm undertaking a research paper entitled "teaching FL oral communication from a discourse analysis perspective". It aim at proving the idea that raising (advanced) learners' discourse awareness may contribute to more effective oral communication.
I wonder if anyone, interested in discourse analysis, can give me guidlines on this subject.

When efl students look at different texts and look for the similarities or differences they have, this may lead to more senstivity to how language works at different contexts.

I believe that advanced efl students need to develop their analytical skills for fuller understanding of language in context. To do that certain questions have to be raised; questions about the lexical, grammatical, rhetorical, social and cultural dimentions that appear in a text.

If you haven't already, why not take a look at what Widdowson says on the subject?

http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/guidan ... ?cc=global