Page 8 - Educational Research Institute: A few facts. Pedagoški inštitut: Ljubljana, 2019.
P. 8
Description of the Centres
6 Centre for Discourse Studies in Upbringing and Education
The purpose of the Centre for Discourse Studies is predominantly
studying the entire scope of communication, with a special focus
on communication that stands out in the process of upbringing and
education. The Centre also focuses on the continuous and gradual
establishment of a (heuristic) model of communication which will
take into consideration and respect the principles of language use,
communication and delivery, as well as help teachers and students
be aware of and use them – on several levels and interdependently:
Language is always our key tool, not only in science, upbringing
and education, but also – these are only some of the fields – in
economics, social work, political science (and politics), internal
and external affairs...
For this purpose, we must first be aware of and internalise the
(often overlooked) fact that the condition for any successful
communication is a lack of conflict, which is mostly the effect and
result of using politeness strategies, therefore respecting and not
endangering an individual’s integrity (and identity). Research of
politeness strategies in the language (come to think of it, where
else could they be applied and expressed?) has been a predominant
topic in linguistic pragmatics for the last 20 years, and the
application of results extends all the way from multicultural and
intercultural studies to diplomacy. At the Centre for Discourse
Studies, this field is discussed in the scope of rhetoric and
argumentation that represent the centre of our research.
When we become aware of the role of language in the
establishment and upkeep of communication, it is much easier to
demonstrate and convince that the language itself contains some
elements that already carry meaning in themselves, regardless of
what we – its users – would like to express. These are mostly the
so-called argumentative connectors (yet, only, already, even, also,
but, etc.) which are crucial in argumentation and reasoning, as well
as argumentative guidelines, which can be found in the lexis and
define the course of discursive exchange.
6 Centre for Discourse Studies in Upbringing and Education
The purpose of the Centre for Discourse Studies is predominantly
studying the entire scope of communication, with a special focus
on communication that stands out in the process of upbringing and
education. The Centre also focuses on the continuous and gradual
establishment of a (heuristic) model of communication which will
take into consideration and respect the principles of language use,
communication and delivery, as well as help teachers and students
be aware of and use them – on several levels and interdependently:
Language is always our key tool, not only in science, upbringing
and education, but also – these are only some of the fields – in
economics, social work, political science (and politics), internal
and external affairs...
For this purpose, we must first be aware of and internalise the
(often overlooked) fact that the condition for any successful
communication is a lack of conflict, which is mostly the effect and
result of using politeness strategies, therefore respecting and not
endangering an individual’s integrity (and identity). Research of
politeness strategies in the language (come to think of it, where
else could they be applied and expressed?) has been a predominant
topic in linguistic pragmatics for the last 20 years, and the
application of results extends all the way from multicultural and
intercultural studies to diplomacy. At the Centre for Discourse
Studies, this field is discussed in the scope of rhetoric and
argumentation that represent the centre of our research.
When we become aware of the role of language in the
establishment and upkeep of communication, it is much easier to
demonstrate and convince that the language itself contains some
elements that already carry meaning in themselves, regardless of
what we – its users – would like to express. These are mostly the
so-called argumentative connectors (yet, only, already, even, also,
but, etc.) which are crucial in argumentation and reasoning, as well
as argumentative guidelines, which can be found in the lexis and
define the course of discursive exchange.
