Investigation #12 Reflection and Retrospective

Throughout the 8 investigations conducted about library, I have gained an analytical mind in exploring how linguistic work can provide a full account of language as a social practice. In a micro level, I recognize the identity claimed by library users and a consistent social practices performed besides borrowing books alone. By closely observing the discourse, soon, I attempt to use Mediated Discourse Analysis to correlate the actions with practices performed by different participants. Also, I am much inspired by applying Hyme’s SPEAKING model to closely look into the structure of a speech event, and Textual Analysis to focus on how the text is produced and draw influence on users.

In a macro level, analysis of Politeness, Interaction and Social Identity, as well as Discourse and Power, also provides me a critical review of the framework used to situate discourse in a broader context of social relations. I also find some ideological change induced by the linguistics production and interpretation. In general, the investigation works allow me to acutely observe ‘Discourse’. Literally, it is far more than just “language in use”.

In my discourse site, library incorporates various language uses, as many forms of social practice. From speech interaction between librarian and borrowers during library book check-out at circulation counter, as well as textual interaction between library and users based on written pamphlets, leaflets and guidelines, all communication treated as social practices has revealed that the discourse is a mode of action to allow people acting upon the world, and specially act upon each other. In addition, not only do people manipulate the discourse existed in spoken, written, or multimodal texts, the discourse itself also shapes human’s ideology by membership, actions, context and social cognition. It is important to understand that people in library setting frequently adopt the genre in between of institutional and governmental. All regulations and guidelines introduced by library administrative party and front staff librarian, can govern the library users’ ability to recognize how they perceive their identity, when they should engage in the actions, what they can do with, and where they take the actions inside the library.

As mentioned in the first investigation, due to the fact that library primarily conducts communication in written instead of spoken form, people might conceptualize meanings in different ways even though they share the same textual pattern. For example, when we read every lines of instructions about ACCESSING FREE GOV WI-FI INTERNET, due to individual comprehensive capability or complicated word meanings, people might still be unable to access to the internet. Therefore, it is suggested that library can make use of the multimodal discourse. Take accessing internet as the example, by showing analytical image on posters (describing every steps clearly), people can clearly understand the sequential actions in a more timeless way. Also, the design could draw the readers’ attention from the reader more effectively if the overall design such as text alignment, labels, captions and explanation can be clearly presented.