A Critical Interpretation on Language and Power

Abstract

There is a growing tendency among Chinese students to apply concrete theories by scholars with different backgrounds and predilections in Critical Discourse Analysis (hereinafter referred to as CDA) to conduct academic research. Seen from a general picture, CDA regards “language as social practice” (Fairclough & Wodak, 1997) and takes consideration of the context of language use to be crucial (Wodak, 2000). More importantly, CDA takes a particular interest in the relation between language and power. This paper intends to offer a basic overview of the constituent content in the landmark masterpiece Language and Power in CDA’s programme as well as a critical view on this influential book.