Critical Discourse Analysis in academic writing pedagogy: More reflexive considerations

Abstract

A common practice within current academic writing pedagogy in Australia involves working with texts as exemplars of the institutionally sanctioned positions or voices  within texts which a student may emulate. This kind of teaching and learning of academic writing in many Australian and international universities continues to be influenced by a view of language as social practice formulated through years of application of social linguistics, particularly the systemic function linguistics of those such as Michael Halliday. Taking up the genealogical critical perspective and method offered by Foucault and drawn into Critical Discourse Analysis, we want to emphasise that omissions and absences from the text are often just as significant as what is included on the page, in other words, there is more to context and voice  than that which can be read off  the written text.