Academic Discourse Genres: Monologic and Dialogic Forms

Monologic Discourse Genres: The Proposed Limit

• The proposed limit should involve an original contribution on a topic. The novelty may reside in ideas or the approach.
• The topic chosen should be as limited as possible. The narrower the field, the better it works and the safer it is.
• The project should be based on a thorough and rigorous reading of the contributions that have been made previously on the subject.
• The student must demonstrate the ability to assimilate and synthesize these ideas. The first part should include all collected readings, properly cited.
• The student must be convinced of the soundness of their project. In the defense of a project, the student is the most knowledgeable person in the world on their topic.
• The student should be able to respond to questions or criticisms made by the board members.

Dialogic Discourse Genres: Round Table Conference

• These are primarily exhibition-based and require a high level of expertise.
• The round table involves about four experts, moderated by a colleague (maintaining a relationship of equality) who is also an expert on the subject.
• The participation time for each person is between 10-15 minutes, and there is a specific order of interventions.
• Participants should not deviate too much from the central theme and must stick to the stipulated time.
• The term conversation refers to two realities:
  • Seminars, conferences, or symposia (e.g., the Program of the III International Symposium DTIS).
  • Communicative interaction that takes place on a TV channel, for example, after the screening of a film.
• Currently, the conference format has led to what is seen as a gathering, which has spawned a new profession: the professional commentator.

Dialogic Discourse Genres: The Workshop

The workshop is a dialogic discourse that implies the intervention of various actors motivated by the aim of reaching an agreement. One aspect that appears to a greater or lesser extent in all meetings is negotiation.

Negotiation is an iterative process which uses all the skills of argument and counter-argument, attempting to validate one's own positions while also listening to and accepting ideas advanced by other parties.

Key Elements of Effective Negotiation

In any negotiation process, three things must be taken into account:

• The convenience of being able to anticipate what the other party might say.
• It is not desirable to be impatient or rushed; negotiation is a gradual process.
• The best bargain is one that successfully reaches a close.