CRITICS: NEW FOUNDATIONS

Fri Mar 7 16:03:18 UTC 1997

I am pleased to say that my book  NEW FOUNDATIONS FOR A SCIENCE OF TEXT AND=
 DISCOURSE has finally appeared (in hard cover and paper back) at the. =
 Ablex Corporation, now moved to 55 Old Post Road Nr. 2, P.O. Box 5297=
 Greenwich CT 06836-5297  Tel. 001/203/661-7602 fax 001/203/661-0792

Here are some comments on the volume:

In this book, Robert de Beaugrande presents his own distinctive approach to=
 the interpretation and analysis of discourse, He discusses a rich and=
 varied selection of textual material, with a sensitivity both to the=
 many-sidedness of meaning of language and to significance of discursive=
 practices in the social and political contexts of the modern world.

=97 Michael Halliday

The new book by Beaugrande is definitely very relevant for the fields of=
 text linguistics and discourse analysis. He develops a interesting new=
 approach and theory which is unique in the field. He also explores=
 applications of his theory and illustrates his assumption with hundreds of=
 examples. This book is a =91must=92 for any scholar who is working in these=
 domains.

=97 Ruth Wodak

A magnum opus in the now vast domain of discourse studies, whose history,=
 methods and subdomains nobody knows as well as Robert de Beaugrande.  No=
 other in book in the humanities and social sciences today integrates such=
 encyclopedic knowledge into a thoroughly transdisciplinary, international,=
 intercultural, and critical programme For all advanced students of=
 discourse, this book should be their major mentor, guide and compendium of=
 research.

 =97 Teun A. van Dijk

Professor de Beaugrande has been one of the most influential scholars in=
 text linguistics since he helped to found it as a discipline. He commands a=
 large panorama of knowledge and brings this learning to bear on a variety=
 of topics, giving fresh insights and new dimensions. In his latest book, he=
 ranges over linguistic, educational, and cultural disciplines in order to=
 synthesise an important framework within which text and discourse can be=
 understood in new ways.

=97 John Sinclair

One reads the new book by Robert A. de Beaugrande not only with interest and=
 satisfaction, but also with a dose of surprise. It is not conceived as a=
 merely linguistic exposition, but rather as a compendious multidimensional=
 essay containing profound and sophisticated reflections on the position,=
 functions, and significance of human communication in the present-day=
 post-industrial society. The author brings forward convincing arguments for=
 the necessity to support =91the freedom of access to knowledge and society=
 through discourse=92 and to =91reconnect theory with practice=92 in a=
 science of discourse whose =91ecological validity=92 would be understood=
 through its relevance to contemporary social and communicative needs. The=
 author's approach is truly transdisciplinary and one can only admire and=
 appreciate his wide outlook, and vast and intimate knowledge from all=
 domains relevant to the field of discourse science. Such a book deserves to=
 be read and reflected upon by anyone who wants to understand the=
 functioning of language communication in our epoch of turbulent social=
 flux.

=97 Frantisek Danes

The table of contents runs as follows:

I   Getting Started=
 ...................................................................	1
I.A. Science at the crossroads =
 .................................................	1
I.B. Demonstrating our agenda: Consumerism versus ecologism .........	2
I.C. Text as an event =
 ............................................................	10
Commentaries to Ch. I=
 ....................................................	18
II   Toward a Science of Text and Discourse .............................	21
II.A. Paradigms for the study of language =
 ..................................	21
II.B. Textuality in grammar, rhetoric, and logic =
 ............................	21
II.C. Textuality in philology  =
 ..................................................	26
II.D. Textuality in modern linguistics =
 ........................................	28
II.E. Moving toward text and discourse =
 .....................................	52
II.F. A brief history of =91text linguistics=92=
 ......................................	60
II.G. Structuralism and=
 post-structuralism....................................	62
II.H. Back to the future=
 .........................................................	67
Commentaries to Ch. II .................................................	68
III Designing Models of Cognition and Communication in Society 	78
III.A. Moving from =91classical=92 to =91post-classical=92=
 ........................... 	78
III.B. Prospects for evolution in the design of models and domains .....	96
III.C. Evolution into code=
 .....................................................	102
III.D. Evolution in language and discourse=
 .................................	118
III.E. Communication among the=
 sciences...................................	130
III.F. Criteria for designing models=
 ..........................................	144
III.G. Modeling linearity=
 .......................................................	152
III.H. Modeling resource constraints=
 .........................................	156
III.I.  An interactive model for text and discourse processing=
 .............	159
Commentaries to Ch. III ..............................................	172
IV   Functionality and Textuality=
 ............................................. 	180
IV.A. Form, meaning, function, and textuality=
 .............................	180
IV.B. Toward a functional, cognitive, and social lexicogrammar ........	186
IV.B.1 Designing a scheme of Processes and Aspects ....................	196
IV.B.2 Enriching the scheme=
 .................................................	207
IV.B.3 From Clause to Phrase=
 ................................................	238
IV.B.4 The design of the lexicogrammar reconsidered ....................	253
IV.B.5 The lexicogrammar in the economy of discourse ..................	256
IV.C. The economy of maintaining and compacting........................	258
IV.D. The economy of joining=
 ................................................	267
IV.E. The prosodic level: Intonation and=
 punctuation......................	270
IV.F. The =91discourse level=92=
 ...................................................	282
Commentaries to Ch. IV .............................................	286
 V   Intermediary Control Systems between Virtual and Actual .......292
V.A. Style and stylistics=
 .......................................................	294
V.B.  Text types and discourse domains=
 ....................................	309=20
V.C. Discourse for special purposes: =91LSP=92 and terminology=
 ............	323
Commentaries to Ch.V ..................................................	344
VI	Interlingual Discourse in Theory and Practice ....................	347
VI.A. Indirect evidence: Comparing and contrasting languages ..........	348
VI.B. Direct evidence: Interference, borrowing, and code-switching ....	354
VI.C. Pidgins and creoles=
 .....................................................	362
VI.D. Translation=
 ...............................................................	368
Commentaries to Ch. VI ..............................................	384
VII	Discourse in Socialization and Education ..........................	386
VII.A. Modeling socialization and education ................................=
 	386
VII.B. Modernization and multiculturalism=
 ..................................	393
VII.C. Education in =91crisis=92=
 ....................................................	400
VII.D. =91Modernizing=92 education: The evolution of design=
 .................	408
VII.E. Educational research=
 ....................................................	414
VII.F. Doing, knowing, saying: Setting new priorities=
 .....................	420
VII.G. The old and the new design for schooling=
 ...........................	423
VII.H. Language learning and language acquisition=
 .........................	435
VII.I. Discourse in the classroom=
 .............................................	440
VII.J. Literacy and reading in =91native language=92 education=
 .................	445
VII.K. Literacy and writing in =91native language=92 education=
 ................	463
VII.K.1 Basic writing .................................................	468
VII.K.2 =91Grammar=92 in the classroom ...............................	473
VII.K.3 Composition .................................................	478
VII.K.4 Literature in the schools ....................................	490
VII.L. =91Non-native language=92 education=
 ......................................	497
Commentaries to Ch. VII .............................................	505
VIII	Discourse and the =91Whole Human Being=92...........................=
	514
VIII.A. The prospects for=
 =91wholeness=92........................................	513
VIII.B. Discourse and culture in =91modern=92 diversity=
 ........................	514
VIII.C. Discourse and ideology=
 ................................................	528
VIII.D. Discourse and gender=
 ..................................................	539
VIII.E. Discourse and emotion=
 .................................................	553
Commentaries to Ch. VIII ............................................	577
References..................................................................=
...........	580
Name Index=
 ...........................................................................=
	646
Subject Index

With critical greetings
RdB
*********************************************
Univ.Prof.Dr.
Robert de Beaugrande
Institut f=FCr Anglistik der
Universitaet Wien
Universitaetsstra=DFe 7
A-1010 Wien
Tel.: +43 1 40103 2475
Fax.: +43 1 406 04 44
eMail: robert.de.beaugrande at univie.ac.at
*********************************************