ABSTRACT
The ways in which discourse research can open up texts, and produce innovative analysis is evident from the preceding chapters, and we have already rehearsed advantages of the approach (Chapter 1, this volume). In this chapter we tum to the disadvantages. Each of the contributors to this book has drawn attention to problems with the methods they adopted, and we will briefly review some of these before going on to outline some of the deeper dangers with the discourse analytic approach. The bulk of the chapter consists of criticisms of discourse analysis: we will outline problems that have been identified in current practice, problems in the framework as a whole, problems that flow from attempts to escape these issues, problems which arise, as a consequence. in teaching the approach and problems attending the wholesale application of the approach to everything. We will conclude with some questions about the way forward for discourse analysis.
