A discourse analysis of Montenegrin university lectures: How structured are they?

Abstract

Summary In comparison to different genres of written discourse, the structure of university lectures remains insufficiently explored. This paper examines which structural elements the mediostructure of Montenegrin lectures consists of, what functions they serve and what features are typical in their internal organisation. The study further aims to determine which linguistic resources are frequently used in the units identified, as well as to define their functions and examine the relation between the mediostructural units and their linguistic characteristics. Applying a part of Cook's model (1975) and conducting frequency and qualitative analyses, we explore a specially compiled corpus of Montenegrin linguistic lectures. The analysis reveals that the lecture mediostructure includes four structural components performing specific communicative functions. They are characterised by the common use of specific linguistic features influenced by the unit in question. The results could be useful to lecturers to successfully plan and structure their lectures, as well as for future research regarding this institutional genre.