Cambridge University Press Talking Voices: Repetition, Dialogue, and Imagery in Conversational Discourse: 26 (Studies in Interactional Sociolinguistics, Series Number 26)

Written in readable, vivid, non-technical prose, this book, first published in 2007, presents the highly respected scholarly research that forms the foundation for Deborah Tannen's best-selling books about the role of language in human relationships. It provides a clear framework for understanding how ordinary conversation works to create meaning and establish relationships. A significant theoretical and methodological contribution to both linguistic and literary analysis, it uses transcripts of tape-recorded conversation to demonstrate that everyday conversation is made of features that are associated with literary discourse: repetition, dialogue, and details that create imagery. This second edition features a new introduction in which the author shows the relationship between this groundbreaking work and the research that has appeared since its original publication in 1989. In particular, she shows its relevance to the contemporary topic 'intertextuality', and provides a useful summary of research on that topic. Review 'Pleasant to read and constantly stimulating … an excellent introduction to the kind of analysis T[annen] does so well.' Ronald K. S. Macaulay, Language' … a very stimulating book, it makes one look with fresh eyes on conversation and what it can tell us about linguistic structures in general.' N. F. Blake, Lore and Language'Tannen should be applauded for pulling together work on … a host of discourse features. She does so, moreover, in a highly readable form that is surprisingly devoid of jargon.' Charles L. Briggs, American Anthropologist'Work like Tannen's reminds us how complex conversational interactions are.' Studies in Second Language Acquisition Book Description This book, first published in 2007, provides a clear framework for understanding how ordinary conversation creates meaning and establishes relationships. From the Back Cover Talking Voices is a radical contribution to both linguistic and literary analysis. In this important new book Deborah Tannen shows how conversation provides the source for linguistic strategies that are shaped and elaborated in literary discourse and other spoken and written, public and private genres. She explores the scenic and musical basis of both textual meaning and interpersonal involvement in discourse. Repetition establisher rhythm and meaning by patterns of constants and contrasts. Dialogue and imagery create scenes peopled by characters in relation to each other, doing things that are culturally and personally recognizable and meaningful. About the Author Deborah Tannen is University Professor and Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University. She has published twenty books and over 100 articles on such topics as family discourse, spoken and written language, cross-cultural communication, modern Greek discourse, the poetics of everyday conversation, the relationship between conversational and literary discourse, gender and language, workplace interaction, agonism in public discourse, and doctor-patient communication.