This book brings together work on critical discourse analysis written by Norman Fairclough between 1983 and 1992, which represents important contributions to the development of this increasingly popular area of study.

The contents of the book are grouped in four sections. The first section examines the development of an analytical framework for researching language in relation to power and ideology. The second deals with the theme of discourse and contemporary social and cultural change, and the use of a critical discourse analysis framework in the study of change.

Chapters in the third section mainly address discourse analysis based outside language studies, arguing for the use of textual analysis in discourse analysis as a method of social research. The final section is concerned with critical language awareness, educational applications of critical discourse analysis within language programmes in schools and educational institutions.

Critical Discourse Analysis will be of value to researchers in the subject as well as being essential reading for advanced undergraduate and MA students of Linguistics on courses in discourse analysis and the sociology of language.