Text, Discourse And Corpora: Theory And Analysis

Description:
Corpus linguistics is often regarded as a methodology in its own right, but little attention has been given to the theoretical perspectives from which the subject can be approached. The present book contributes to filling this gap. Bringing together original contributions by internationally renowned authors, the chapters include coverage of the lexical priming theory, parole-linguistics, a four-part model of language system and language use, and the concept of local textual functions. The theoretical arguments are illustrated and complemented by case studies using data from large corpora such as the BNC, smaller purpose-built corpora, and Google searches. By presenting theoretical positions in corpus linguistics, 'Text, Discourse, and Corpora' provides an essential overview for advanced undergraduate, postgraduate and academic readers. 'Corpus and Discourse Series' editors are: Wolfgang Teubert, University of Birmingham, and Michaela Mahlberg, Liverpool Hope University College. Editorial Board: Frantisek Cermak (Prague), Susan Conrad (Portland), Geoffrey Leech (Lancaster), Elena Tognini-Bonelli (Lecce and TWC), Ruth Wodak (Lancaster and Vienna), and Feng Zhiwei (Beijing). Corpus linguistics provides the methodology to extract meaning from texts. Taking as its starting point the fact that language is not a mirror of reality but lets us share what we know, believe and think about reality, it focuses on language as a social phenomenon, and makes visible the attitudes and beliefs expressed by the members of a discourse community. Consisting of both spoken and written language, discourse always has historical, social, functional, and regional dimensions. Discourse can be monolingual or multilingual, interconnected by translations. Discourse is where language and social studies meet. 'The Corpus and Discourse' series consists of two strands. The first, 'Research in Corpus and Discourse', features innovative contributions to various aspects of corpus linguistics and a wide range of applications, from language technology via the teaching of a second language to a history of mentalities. The second strand, 'Studies in Corpus and Discourse', is comprised of key texts bridging the gap between social studies and linguistics. Although equally academically rigorous, this strand will be aimed at a wider audience of academics and postgraduate students working in both disciplines.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; John Sinclair; Chapter 1 - Lexical priming and literary creativity; Michael Hoey; Chapter 2 - Grammatical creativity: a corpus perspective; Michael Hoey; Chapter 3 - Parole-linguistics and the diachronic dimension of the discourse; Wolfgang Teubert; Chapter 4 - Natural and Human Rights, Work and Property in the Discourse of Catholic Social Doctrine; Wolfgang Teubert; Chapter 5 - On texts, corpora and models of language; Michael Stubbs; Chapter 6 - Quantitative data on mulit-word sequences in English: the case of the word world; Michael Stubbs; Chapter 7 - Lexical items in discourse: identifying local textual functions of sustainable development; Michaela Mahlberg; Chapter 8 - Corpus stylistics: bridging the gap between linguistic and literary studies; Michaela Mahlberg.

Author Biography:
Michael Hoey is Baines Professor of English language at the University of Liverpool. Michaela Mahlberg is Lecturer in English Language at the University of Liverpool. Michael Stubbs is Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Trier, Germany. Wolfgang Teubert is Professor of Corpus Linguistics at the University of Birmingham. John Sinclair is President of the Tuscan Word Centre, Italy and Professor Emeritus of Modern English Language, University of Birmingham.