Centre for Discourse Studies in Upbringing and Education

The purpose of the Centre for Discourse Studies is predominantly to study 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 helping teachers and students be aware of and use them – on several levels and interdependently:

  1. Language is always our key tool, not only in science, upbringing and education, but also – these are only some of the fields – in economy, social work, political science (and politics), internal and external affairs…
  2. 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 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.
  3. 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 language itself contains some elements that already carry a 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.

Who we are

Ongoing Projects

    • 2014-:COST Action IS1404, E-READ: Evolution of Reading in the Age of Digitisation (Project Manager at the ERI:

Igor Ž. Žagar

    )

  • 2016-: ESS Project: Development and Implementation of Innovative Learning Environments and Flexible Forms of Learning in order to Raise Overall Competencies; Section 1.3: Multilingualism – “Languages Count” (Consortium project, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education; Manager: Karmen Pižorn, Manager at the ERI: Janja Žmavc)
  • 2018: Update of the Rhetorics Curriculum in Elementary School and Preparation of Starting Points for Placing Rhetorics into High-School Programmes (Manager at the ERI: Janja Žmavc)

Past Projects

  • 1/7/2004 – 30/6/2007, Education and Constructions of Critical Literacy: Perception, Argumentation, Interpretation (J56435 (B), Manager: Igor Ž. Žagar)
  • 1/2/2008 – 30/1/2011, Design, Development, and Use of the Term “Europe” in Slovenian Media Publications from 1954 until Today (J60906 (B), Manager: Igor Ž. Žagar)
  • 2007–2013: ESS Project: Updating High Schools (National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Manager: Amalija Žakelj; Manager at the ERI: Janja Žmavc)
  • 2015: ESS Project: Model of an Interdisciplinary Textbook on Roman Literature and Culture (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts; Manager: David Movrin; Manager at the ERI: Janja Žmavc)
  • 2015: ESS Project: Development of Materials for Life-Long Latin Learning (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts; Manager: David Movrin; Manager at the ERI: Janja Žmavc)

 

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