ABSTRACT
Discourse surrounds us in everyday life, often in ways that seem so normal we barely notice them: from the combining of texts and images in school books, on food packaging and road signs; to greetings between friends and between strangers; to the writing of emails and academic essays. As these examples imply, the word discourse refers to spoken or written language (perhaps in combination with images) used to communicate particular meanings. Discourse analysis is the practice of exploring what kinds of speaking, writing and images are treated as ‘normal’ (and ‘abnormal’) in real situations, and the proportions, combinations and purposes of discourse that are conventionally acceptable (or not) in these situations.
