Text, Context, Pretext: Critical Issues in Discourse Analysis

This fascinating examination of the relations between grammar, text and discourse is designed to provoke genuinely critical discussion on key issues in discourse analysis which are not always clearly identified and explored.

The enquiry into discourse analysis that Zellig Harris initiated 50 years ago raised a number of problematic issues that have remained unresolved ever since. What these are all centrally concerned with is the relationship between the analysis of the formal properties of text and the significance that is assigned to them in discourse interpretation. Widdowson explores this relationship and introduces the notion of pretext as an additional factor in the general interpretative process. He also focuses attention specifically on the work of critical discourse analysis (CDA) in the light of the issues discussed.

The result is a stimulating volume that makes explicit the distinctions between the key concepts of text and discourse, and between context, co–text and pretext. It shows how these are related and can provide a theoretical frame of reference for the critical evaluation of current issues in discourse analysis.

Preface.

1. Text and discourse.

2. Text and grammar.

3. Context.

4. Context and Co–text.

5. Pretext.

6. Critical discourse analysis.

7. Text and corpus analysis.

8. Analysis and interpretation.

9. Approach and method.

10. Conclusion.

References.

Index of names.

Index of subjects.

H. G. Widdowson is Honorary Professor at the University of Vienna and Professor Emeritus at the University of London. He is renowned in the fields of applied linguistics and language teaching, and is the author of numerous books and articles, including Defining Issues in English Language Teaching (2002), Linguistics (1996), and Practical Stylistics: An Approach to Poetry (1992).

This book is beautifully written, clearly and cogently argued and illustrated with interesting and persuasive examples. It is excellent for use with students, who would otherwise struggle in a field replete with difficult, if not tortuous, key texts. Malcolm Coulthard, University of Birmingham <!––end––>

It is unusual in discourse analysis to find a book as thought–provoking or as wide–ranging as this. Any student of pragmatics, discourse analysis (critical or otherwise), text linguistics or corpus linguistics will need to consider carefully what Henry Widdowson has to say; his positions are too well argued to be simply ignored.
Michael Hoey, University of Liverpool

"Text, Context, Pretext covers much ground in discourse analysis ranging from its early precursors (e.g. B Malinowski, Z. Harris) to its contemporary practitioners. The notion of pretext provides a new approach to the discussion of critical issues in (critical) discourse analysis."
Journal of Sociolinguistics

"The Volume, greatly ro its credit, raises the awareness of various critical issues which need to be considered when embarking on research in Critical Discourse Analysis."
Discourse & Society