Published: November 30, 2025
Article history: Updated on June 29, 2026
Abstract
This paper reviews the core definitions, theoretical origins, and analytical frameworks of CDA, with a particular focus on Fairclough’s three-dimensional model and its extension to digital multimodal discourse. It intends to systematically explain the theoretical meanings of CDA, summarize the research trends worldwide and propose specific development routes for its study in China. The investigation includes the interdisciplinary basis of CDA, the operational logic of its classical analytical framework, as well as its use in digital fields like short videos and online classes, and also carries out a comparative study between Chinese and foreign CDA research. It is observed that foreign CDA has established a relatively perfect theoretical system but lacks appropriate adaptability in non-Western environments, whereas Chinese research has made some progress in theoretical introduction but still has deficiencies in empirical research, localization and interdisciplinary combination. This survey assists in standardizing the core concepts of CDA, offers a theoretical basis for its application in digital and educational areas, and provides an initial foundation for the localization and innovation of CDA research in complicated social situations in China.
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How to cite this paper
Theoretical Construction and Research Review of Critical Discourse Analysis
How to cite this paper: Xinli Li. (2025). Theoretical Construction and Research Review of Critical Discourse Analysis. Translation and Foreign Language Learning, 1(4), 734-738.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2025.11.023