Abstract：Abstract: “Recontextualization” is considered as a new tool of critical discourse analysis (CDA) by van Leeuwen (2008), but when CDA enters its new stage of critical discourse studies (CDS), “indexical order” turns to be a more interpretive conceptual tool. This article discusses this newly developed tool in terms of what it is meant, how it is applied, and what significance it has for critical discourse studies. In doing so, the similarities and differences between “recontextualization” and “indexical order” are delineated as that these two terms have similar significance for exploring the mediation between language structures and social structures, but “indexical order” has more potentials for seeing the inequality between social categories via linguistic analysis. Two points are made in this discussion: 1) the development of CDA is seen in the update of conceptual tools; 2) conceptual tools are essential for case studies in CDS, both in their embodying CDS theoretical principles and applying analytical frameworks and in the specialized accountability they give rise to in specific case studies of the dialectical relationship between discourse and society.
Key words: recontextualization, indexical order, critical discourse analysis, language and society, discourse
