Discourse Analysis Unit I: Foundations: Text, Context, and History
🎯 Stage 1 — Desired Results
A. Established Goals
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Students will evaluate the historical evolution of discourse analysis.
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Students will distinguish between the structural and functional characteristics of spoken and written texts in diverse educational contexts.
B. Transfer Goals
Students will independently use their learning to:
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Analyze authentic language samples in their future classrooms to determine whether instructional materials align with how language is naturally spoken or written.
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Make their teaching practices transparent by articulating the theoretical “why” behind their instructional choices to colleagues and learners, fostering a collaborative community of language educators.
C. Meaning
Enduring Understandings (Students will understand that …)
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“Text” and “discourse” are distinct concepts within Applied Linguistics that directly shape how we approach English Language Teaching (ELT).
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Spoken and written language possess fundamental structural and contextual differences that alter how learners process and produce meaning.
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Modern ELT methodologies are deeply rooted in historical discourse theories, and understanding this lineage empowers educators to make informed, adaptable pedagogical choices.
Essential Questions
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How do we draw the line between a “text” and “discourse” when teaching language?
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In what ways does the mode of delivery (spoken vs. written) change the rules of communication?
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How can historical theories of discourse analysis solve modern challenges in the ELT classroom?
D. Acquisition
Students will know …
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Historical milestones and core theories outlining the origins of discourse analysis.
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The fundamental structural and contextual differences between spoken and written discourse.
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The definition of “text” versus “discourse” within Applied Linguistics.
Students will be able to …
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Identify defining traits of spoken versus written language in authentic samples.
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Map historical discourse theories to modern English Language Teaching (ELT) methodologies.
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Categorize texts based on their mode of delivery and communicative purpose.
🎯 Stage 2 — Evidence
A. Performance Task (GRASPS)
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Goal: Demystify discourse analysis by creating an accessible, transparent breakdown of an authentic text, highlighting the differences between spoken and written discourse and connecting these findings to ELT methodology.
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Role: An English Language Teacher Trainer.
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Audience: The broader public at large, specifically pre-service educators and language learners who benefit from seeing the “behind-the-scenes” of language mechanics.
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Situation: You are seeking to build an engaging, open community of educators. To do this, you want to share a practical analysis of how historical discourse theories apply to modern teaching. You will select two authentic texts (one spoken, one written) and map their defining traits, making the analytical process entirely transparent.
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Product/Performance: A public-facing “Discourse Breakdown” published in a format of the student’s choice (e.g., a blog post, a video essay, a collaborative digital whiteboard, or a podcast episode). The product must reference foundational concepts from Cook (1989) and McCarthy (1991).
Standards/Rubric (summary): (Note: Unit I assignments and quizzes represent 15% of the total course grade. The use of English accounts for 50% of the value on evaluated items.)
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Purpose & audience: The breakdown effectively explains complex linguistic concepts (text vs. discourse) to an audience of peers and learners in an engaging, transparent manner.
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Organization & cohesion: The analysis logically compares spoken and written traits and smoothly maps historical theories to modern ELT practices.
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Detail & diction: Appropriate Applied Linguistics terminology is used accurately and then clearly defined for the target audience.
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Language control (B1+): High degree of grammatical accuracy and appropriate academic/professional register; English use constitutes 50% of the evaluation.
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Process & integrity: Uses correct APA formatting for citations and references; demonstrates 100% original work in compliance with the departmental plagiarism and AI policy.
B. Other Evidence
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Formative Quizzes: Brief knowledge checks on historical milestones and definitions of text vs. discourse.
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Interactive Reading Logs: Collaborative annotations using digital tools on the required readings: Cook (1989) Section 1 and McCarthy (1991) Preface & Chapter 1.
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Sorting Activity: In-class or digital task categorizing authentic language samples by mode of delivery and communicative purpose.