Metadiscourse

Metadiscourse: Exploring Interaction in Writing, Ken Hyland, Continuum Guides to Discourse, Continuum, September 2005, £25, 240pp, 0 8264 7611 2.

'In this engaging and highly insightful account of multifunctional metadiscourse, Ken Hyland expertly re-examines the relationship between writers and readers through the mediation of texts to highlight the interactive nature of discourse as social engagement. The book gives a new meaning and direction to the study of form-function relationship in the analysis of discourse as (in a much wider context embedding) genre, culture and society.' (Professor Vijay K Bhatia, City University of Hong Kong.)

This book provides an accessible introduction to metadiscourse, discussing its role and importance in written communication. It explores examples from a wide range of texts from business, journalism, academia and student writing to present a new theory of metadiscourse. The final section of the book explores the importance of metadiscourse for teachers and students, and details its practical advantages and applications in the writing class. Accessibly written and packed with examples, Metadiscourse is an essential introduction for students of applied linguistics, language teachers and academics.

Social Languages/Situated Meanings

Discussion of one sentence in it's 'vernacular' and 'non-vernacular' version.

Social Languages

(examples of different social languages)

The World's Changed But Our Theories Haven't

(A Requiem for the Baby Boom)

In discussing new times and new literacies, today’s lecture took up the crucial role played by new identities, affinity groups, and networks in the new capitalism. A discussion on the so-called Millennial Generation and their orientation to our new times and new literacies followed, developing the notion of "shape-shifting portfolio people,” a notion that also helps define the new workings of class.

TOOLS OF INQUIRY/BUILDING TASKS

During the seminars different examples of analysing language-in-use are being discussed. For this Gee has developed a set of "Tools of Enquiry" and "Building Tasks".