Methodological issues in critical discourse studies

Abstract

Critical discourse studies (CDS) as a research approach in applied linguistics emerged beginning in the 1980s (e.g., Fairclough, 1989, 1992, 1995), which drew upon several disciplines: cultural studies, media studies, systemic functional linguistics, and semiotics. Since then, various CDS approaches have expanded beyond verbal texts to include visual ones (e.g., Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006), and been developed in classroom contexts for teacher-researchers (e.g., Rogers & Mosley Wetzel, 2013). However, the various approaches labeling themselves as ‘critical discourse’ have not been without disagreements over what constitutes critical methodologies (e.g., Blommaert, 2005). This chapter first presents a brief survey of the various approaches. It next examines the various debates within CDS; specifically the methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks. The chapter then addresses the recent developments in CDS and suggests future directions.