Customer Reviews

An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory & Method

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reading the book does not require prior knowledge and training in linguistics or social theory because the book was written at the really introductory level. The author has intentionally stayed away from using too many technical jargons and dumping too many names on his readers. Thus, it is actually a very good introduction for students who haven't had prior experiences of reading linguistic stuffs. While the book does not deal with discourse analysis deeply, it certainly can provide an entry point for people who would like to know more about discourse analysis.

Having read this book for a graduate seminar in Discourse Analysis I can give Gee credit for producing a very readable book on a subject that has literature that often strays into the hard to read category. The book systematically lays out Gee's version of Discourse Analysis with useful examples and citations of others' work.

The one negative that I ran into consistently is that the book does tend to require the reader to readily absorb a large vocabulary that Gee introduces almost immediately. If you forget some of Gee's terms and phrases, you will find yourself flipping back and forth through pages to see what exactly he means when he says X word or phrase. Considering the relative shortness of the book, this isn't that big of a problem. Also, it is important to realize that Discourse Analysis brings with it by its very nature a large vocabulary--it is something Gee can not help but include in his book.

This book is a very thorough analysis of the language as used in social contexts, by one of the foremost authors in the area. Gee's key premise is that "discourse" (ie language use) can only be interpreted in a larger context including non-linguisitic communication (body language, etc...) as well as psychological variables such as attitudes and beliefs. He calls this larger grouping a "Discourse" (with a capital "D") and gives a very thorough exposition of the topic.

I don't agree with Gee about how much psychological baggage needs to be included in the picture. But the book is still an excellent read, and very instructive.

This is an excellent book. It is clearly written, it is very well researched (bibliography), and the reader will comprehend the theory and methods behind linguistics. I've read other linguistic books that make mention of Dr. Gee's book.

Professor Gee is easily one of the most exciting literacy/language/education/discourse thinkers of our time. This book is perfect for those thinking of researching the ways that language/talk/discourse reflect cultural/political/societal models. Gee is always on the cutting edge of this kind of research, and if you want to know how he does it, buy this book!