Latin-American discourse studies: State of the art and new perspectives

Abstract

Beyond obvious differences, Latin American, Asian and African countries share a similar history of colonisation, complex economic and social situations and human rights violations. In this context, the paper seeks to reflect on the influence of westernisation and academic colonialism on Latin American discourse studies. It will start with a brief history of the globalisation processes that took place on the continent in the modern age. This will be followed by a review of Latin American linguistic and discourse studies, focusing on Critical Discourse Analysis. Suggestions will then be offered concerning the development of critical thinking vis-à-vis researchers’ own academic practices. A new paradigm for Latin American discourse studies will be put forward, involving dialogue with the Western tradition as well as with Shi-xu's (Citation2009) ‘new paradigm’, which brings together scholars from other backgrounds.