An Introduction to Discourse Analysis

Theory and Method

By: James Paul Gee

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Hardcover | 28 November 2025 | Edition Number 5

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James Paul Gee's "Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method" (5th edition) 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 different 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.

The updated edition includes 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.

Industry Reviews

'The main strengths of How to Do Discourse Analysis and Introduction to Discourse Analysis lie in the clear, engaging style that makes complicated concepts accessible through the use of metaphor, and the abundance of examples. I would recommend everyone who teaches discourse analysis to have these two books in their inventory, if not as main course books, then for selective use as a collection of readings and exercises.'

Daria Dayter, Tempere University

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