Levels of style-shifting : exemplified in the interaction strategies of a moderator in a listener participation programme

  • This paper investigates speech styles and style-shifting in the speech of the moderator of a German radio participation programme. Style-shifting is shown to affect several distinct linguistic levels: phonetic, morphophonemic, syntactic, and lexical. The functions of style-shifting are related both to the discourse context and the broader institutional context. Relying on listeners' co-occurrence expectations with respect to language use in contexts and exploiting listeners' evaluations of processes of speech convergence and divergence, the moderator uses stereotypic markers at different style levels in locally strategic functions in discourse. On the one hand, thematic development is controlled by reinforcing obligations on the addressee. On the other hand, global social reciprocity patterns are constituted and secured. Patterns of reciprocity vary with different types of addressees. The conversational analysis of language variation shows that variation is not only a quantitative correlate of regional, social and contextualThis paper investigates speech styles and style-shifting in the speech of the moderator of a German radio participation programme. Style-shifting is shown to affect several distinct linguistic levels: phonetic, morphophonemic, syntactic, and lexical. The functions of style-shifting are related both to the discourse context and the broader institutional context. Relying on listeners' co-occurrence expectations with respect to language use in contexts and exploiting listeners' evaluations of processes of speech convergence and divergence, the moderator uses stereotypic markers at different style levels in locally strategic functions in discourse. On the one hand, thematic development is controlled by reinforcing obligations on the addressee. On the other hand, global social reciprocity patterns are constituted and secured. Patterns of reciprocity vary with different types of addressees. The conversational analysis of language variation shows that variation is not only a quantitative correlate of regional, social and contextual parameters as predominantly conceived of in sociolinguistics. Language variation is furthermore used as a means to signal social and interactive meaning in conversations.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author details:Margret SeltingORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-41273
Publication series (Volume number):Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Philosophische Reihe (40)
Publication type:Postprint
Language:English
Publication year:1985
Publishing institution:Universität Potsdam
Release date:2010/03/15
Source:Journal of pragmatics. - 9 (1985) 2/3, S. 179-197, ISSN 0378-2166
Organizational units:Philosophische Fakultät / Institut für Germanistik
DDC classification:4 Sprache / 40 Sprache / 400 Sprache
License (German):License LogoKeine öffentliche Lizenz: Unter Urheberrechtsschutz
External remark:
The original publication is available at www.sciencedirect.com:
Journal of pragmatics. - 9 (1985) Issue 2/3, p. 179-197
ISSN 0378-2166
DOI 10.1016/0378-2166(85)90024-4
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