Discourse Analysis by Using Speech Act -Theory and Hallidayan Cohesion

Abstract

Speech act theory is more suitable for analyzing a text than Hallidayan cohesion. It considers utterances and deals with the use of language that is utterances made in a particular discourse have a particular effect. The analytical power of speech act theory derives from its ability to justify the deductive bases people use to infer various kinds of utterances. This paper aims to describe and evaluate two approaches to discourse analysis, Hallidayan cohesion and speech act theory. The intention is to clarify these two approaches to discourse analysis so that they can be interrogated as frameworks for analyzing a text. At first, it is helpful to begin by briefly defining the word discourse, examining the different approaches to discourse analysis and justifying the choice of the functionalist approaches to discourse explored in this paper. This will be followed by a summary of both approaches selected as frameworks for analysis, after which two texts will be analyzed using these approaches. The paper concludes with a critical evaluation of which of the two approaches is more suitable for the two texts in question.