An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method

This bestselling textbook provides a comprehensive guide to conducting discourse analysis. The book outlines Gee’s approach, which involves examining how language is used in context to construct meaning, identities, relationships, and social practices.

The theoretical framework is built around seven ＂building tasks＂ that language performs: significance, practices, identities, relationships, politics, connections, and sign systems and knowledge. Gee introduces six ＂tools of inquiry＂ for analyzing these tasks: situated meanings, social languages, figured worlds, intertextuality, Discourses, and Conversations.

Methodologically, Gee emphasizes the importance of context and the reciprocal relationship between language and context. He discusses transcription, outlines the components of an ＂ideal＂ discourse analysis, and addresses issues of validity.

The book provides practical guidance on analyzing various aspects of language, such as intonation units, stanzas, and the overall organization of oral and written texts. Gee uses interview data to demonstrate how identities and socially situated meanings are constructed through language.

This new edition is updated throughout with new examples and a new chapter on multimodal discourse analysis, demonstrating how Gee’s approach can be applied to texts that combine language with other modes of communication, like images or video. Overall, the book equips readers with a robust toolkit for systematically analyzing discourse.

James Paul Gee is a Regents Professor, Emeritus, at Arizona State University and an elected member of the National Academy of Education. He is the author of many books and papers on linguistics, literacy, discourse analysis, and learning. His books include What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Literacy and Learning (2007), Introducing Discourse: From Grammar to Society (2017), and What is a Human? (2020).