Navigating Discourse Genres: Shows two small kids paddling a canoe

Parallel Texts in American Sign Language and English
on Canoeing in the Boundary Waters

with Eric Larson and Jenny Stenner
Interpretations by Anthony Verdeja

Resources for Further Study

Discourse, and discourse analysis, are both extremely broad and complicated topics.    This single project cannot pretend to be more than either an entry point to further study, or a resource to someone who has already begun this journey. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for other resources for deepening one’s understanding of discourse and discourse genres. (I have included as many Web links as possible to assist in locating these resources.)

Books/Print:

  • Callow, Kathleen. 1974. Discourse Considerations in Translating the Word of God. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.
  • Hatch, Evelyn. 1992. Discourse and Language Education. New York: Cambridge University Press. (Particularly relevant is Chapter 5 on “Rhetorical Analysis.”) http://us.cambridge.org/language/
  • Johnstone, Barbara. 2001. Discourse Analysis. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. http://bookshop.blackwell.com/bobus/scripts/welcome.jsp?isbn=0631208771
  • Metzger, Melanie. Constructed Dialogue and Constructed Action in American Sign Language. In Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities, Vol. 1. Lucas, ed. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.    http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/2878.html
  • Roy, Cynthia, ed. 2000. Innovative Practices for Teaching Sign Language Interpreters. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/IPTSLI.html
  • Roy, Cynthia .    1999. Interpreting as a Discourse Process. Oxford University Press. www.oup.co.uk/isbn/0-19-511948-7
  • Roy, Cynthia. 1989. Features of Discourse in an American Sign Language Lecture. In The Sociolinguistics of the Deaf Community, C. Lucas, Ed. New York: Academic Press.
  • Tannen, Deborah. 1986. That’s Not What I Meant. New York: Ballantine Books.
  • Winston, Elizabeth, ed. 1999. Storytelling and Conversation: Discourse in Deaf Communities. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/SAC.html

Discourse analysis is also a topic that is gaining currency on the workshop circuit. So, either look for a workshop in your area, or contact your affiliate chapter of RID and suggest having a workshop on this topic.