| Discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary branch of learning that studies the patterns of linguistic organization in a continuous stretch of language larger than a sentence. It was once an attempt to probe into the process and laws of the generation, comprehension and memory of the text meaning; since the second half of 1980s, it has received an increasing attention from international academic societies and more and more disciplines have applied its theory and methodology to such fields as studying society, culture, policy and etc. The process of the generation, distribution and comprehension of discourse meaning has been referred to as one that relates to a broader system of social meaning, which takes all legitimate issues into account.Discourse analysis develops side by side with communication studies, which itself is a cross-discipline as well. In the history of communication studies emerged "meaning paradigm" which, contrast to the traditional communication studies that takes communication first as a process of information transfer, takes it first as a process of generation, distribution, negotiation and conflict of meaning instead, during which a variety of symbolic interactions based on language play an important role in shaping social reality, social relations and social status of the communicators and communicates. By a subtler way of text analysis, the study becomes so unique in the research of communicative qualification that it exhibits an unprecedented expectation and vitality.The dissertation will trace the history of discourse analysis, explore its theoretic elements and intentions, analyze its characteristics and types and examine its application in reality. Also, it will set discourse analysis on a broad background of communicative contexts and theories to demonstrate the function of communicative discourse analysis in the establishment of free communication system and the advancement of a more society and world. It is an endeavor to blend discourse analysis perfectly with communication studies by the way of individual case analysis and theoretic expansion.Three goals are expected to achieve through this research: 1) to make a clear definition of "communicative discourse analysis" and to promotefounding its domain and framework; 2) to provide a comparatively specific guidance for those at home who desire to know and apply the theory; and 3) to make out related cultural policies on the base of deep understanding of the interactive relationship between communication and social development through the theory and method of discourse analysis. The dissertation consists of seven chapters.Chapter 1 Introduction — Turn to discourse analysis. First, by briefly tracing the history of discourse turn in the humanities and social science, the chapter makes a skeleton exploration on general characteristics of the contemporary social progress and the status quo of communication studies. It demonstrates and explains the possibility and necessity of the discourse turn of communication studies and provides a linguistic and semiotic backing for the subject discussion of this dissertation. Second, it surveys the current situation of discourse analysis research and defines the thesis of this dissertation. Third, it accounts for the subject-selecting process and the theoretic framework this dissertation.Chapter 2 The definition of discourse analysis. A systematic sorting, analysis and summary has been made on the connotation and researching boundary of discourse and discourse analysis. An outline has been given to the development and the main points of discourse analysis. In order to deepen and strengthen the comprehension of discourse analysis, the chapter also uses case studies as compared with discourse analysis and content analysis.Chapter 3 Rhetoric discourse analysis (RDA). An attempt has been made to discuss rhetoric — a critical and yet neglected field in contemporary communication studies. Rhetoric, as an essential part of communicative behavior and environment, is characterized as a high policy, the application of which makes a notable impact on the communicative effects and actions. Also, rhetoric is characterized with great discourse power, the different ranks of which constitute "rhetoric gap", a problem as important as "information gap". RDA is bound to be an effective method to fill up and remove the "rhetoric gap". Based on the comprehensive study of the rhetoric theory, the chapter accounts for the communicative function of rhetoric discourse by combining withindividual case studies so as to offer reference and assistance for rhetoric communication and rhetoric conversation analysis.Chapter 4 The theory of speech acts and conversation analysis (CA). Systemizing and researching have been done upon the theory of speech acts and CA, which are regarded as important sources and contributions. Reviews and evaluations have been made on the essentials and main points of such theories as Austin and Searle's speech acts, Grice's cooperative principle, Leech's politeness principle and Sacks' discourse structure. In addition, applied research has been undertaken by selecting some practical conversations and typical social events as the object of analysis. It is an attempt upon the base to expand those theories and to link them with their current forms of expression. For instance, with the comparison of Habermas' theory of speech of acts, the chapter demonstrates their contemporary contributions and their inspiration for the communication studies.Chapter 5 Foucault and his revelation. A thorough exploration has been taken on the social critical theory of discourse analysis, particularly on the problems of relationship between the discourse, the knowledge and the power stated in Foucault's archaeology of knowledge and his genealogy. It is an endeavor to associate Foucault and his revelation with the theories such as colonial discourse, feminist discourse and culture studies and etc. so as to clarify the importance of constructivism, which is considered as the most critical perspective and standpoint in contemporary discourse analysis. Today, "constructivism" has become a significant starting-point for communicative observation and communicative discourse analysis.Chapter 6 Critical discourse analysis (CDA). CD A is a research result achieved by the blend of linguistic discourse analysis with the social theory of discourse. Through the theoretic sorting and estimating, the chapter aims at an all-round and thorough definition of both linguistic and cognitive process of discourse production, distribution and comprehension in order to provide a sight glass to peep at the micro-system of the power maneuver in discourse. There are two paradigms in the text analysis: one is Fairclough's grammatical analysis...
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