What type of analysis looks at the organization and structure of spoken and written texts?

What type of analysis looks at the organization and structure of spoken and written texts?

• A. Textual analysis
• B. Phonetic analysis
• C. Discourse analysis
• D. Syntactic analysis

Answer: (C)

Discourse analysis is the correct choice as it specifically focuses on the organization, structure, and meaning of spoken and written texts. This type of analysis examines how language functions in context, considering factors such as the flow of conversation, the relationships between speakers, and the social and cultural factors that influence communication. Discourse analysis often looks beyond the individual sentences to understand how larger narratives and themes are constructed within a text. This includes considering elements like turn-taking in conversation, the use of coherence and cohesion, and the overall purpose of the text. By engaging with these aspects, discourse analysis reveals how language is employed to convey meaning and achieve specific effects in communication. The other types of analysis have distinct focuses: textual analysis tends to concentrate more on the content or literary elements of a text; phonetic analysis deals with the sounds of spoken language; and syntactic analysis focuses on the structure of sentences and the grammatical relationships within them. While all these analyses can provide insights into language, they do not comprehensively address the organization and structure of texts as discourse analysis does.

Discourse analysis is the correct choice as it specifically focuses on the organization, structure, and meaning of spoken and written texts. This type of analysis examines how language functions in context, considering factors such as the flow of conversation, the relationships between speakers, and the social and cultural factors that influence communication.

Discourse analysis often looks beyond the individual sentences to understand how larger narratives and themes are constructed within a text. This includes considering elements like turn-taking in conversation, the use of coherence and cohesion, and the overall purpose of the text. By engaging with these aspects, discourse analysis reveals how language is employed to convey meaning and achieve specific effects in communication.

The other types of analysis have distinct focuses: textual analysis tends to concentrate more on the content or literary elements of a text; phonetic analysis deals with the sounds of spoken language; and syntactic analysis focuses on the structure of sentences and the grammatical relationships within them. While all these analyses can provide insights into language, they do not comprehensively address the organization and structure of texts as discourse analysis does.