Linguistic Choice across Genres: Variation in Spoken and Written English

356 Pages·1998·31.94 MB·English

by  Antonia Sánchez-Macarro

LINGUISTIC CHOICE ACROSS GENRES
AMSTERDAM STUDIES IN THE THEORY AND
HISTORY OF LINGUISTIC SCIENCE
General Editor
E. F. KONRAD KOERNER
(University of Ottawa)
Series IV - CURRENT ISSUES IN LINGUISTIC THEORY
Advisory Editorial Board
Henning Andersen (Los Angeles); Raimo Anttila (Los Angeles)
Thomas V. Gamkrelidze (Tbilisi); John E. Joseph (Edinburgh)
Hans-Heinrich Lieb (Berlin); Ernst Pulgram (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
E. Wyn Roberts (Vancouver, B.C.); Danny Steinberg (Tokyo)
Volume 158
Antonia Sánchez-Macarro and Ronald Carter (eds)
Linguistic Choice across Genres
Variation in spoken and written English
LINGUISTIC CHOICE
ACROSS GENRES
VARIATION IN SPOKEN AND
WRITTEN ENGLISH
Edited by
ANTONIA SÁNCHEZ-MACARRO
Universitat de València
RONALD CARTER
University of Nottingham
JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY
AMSTERDAM/PHILADELPHIA
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Linguistic choice across genres : variation in spoken and written English / edited by Antonia Sánchez-
Macarro and Ronald Carter.
p. cm. -- (Amsterdam studies in the theory and history of linguistic science. Series IV, Current
issues in linguistic theory, ISSN 0304-0763 ; v. 158)
Based on papers delivered at the VII International Systemic Functional Workshop held in Valencia in
1995.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. English language-Discourse analysis-Congresses. 2. English language-Spoken English-Con­
gresses. 3. English language-Written English-Congresses. 4. English language-Variation-Congresses.
I. Sánchez -Macarro, Antonia. II. Carter, Ronald. III. International Systemic Functional Workshop (7th :
1995 : Valencia, Spain) IV. Series.
PE1422.L55 1998
401'41--DC21 98-6208
ISBN 90 272 3663 1 (Eur.) / 1 55619 874 4 (US) (Hb; alk. paper) CIP
© Copyright 1998 - John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means,
without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. • P.O.Box 75577 • 1070 AN Amsterdam • The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America • P.O.Box 27519 • Philadelphia PA 19118-0519 • USA
CONTENTS
Foreword vii
INTRODUCTION
Meaning as work: Individuals, society and the production of representational
resources
Gunther Kress 3
I WRITTEN GENRES
Resonance in text
Geoff Thompson 29
Conditional expressions: Meanings and realizations in two genres
Thomas Bloor 47
Pragmatic, stylistic and grammatical limitations on choice: A study of cause-
effect signalling in English
Michael P. Jordan 65
Functional variations in NG premodifiers in written English
Vicente López-Folgado 87
Information progression strategies in administrative forms:  cross-linguistic
study
Angela Downing & Julia Lavid 99
Interpersonal choices in academic work
Eija Ventola 117
The consequences of choice: Discursive positioning in an art institution
Louise J. Ravelli 137
Lexical and grammatical choices in innovative language use in computer
science
Meriel Bloor 155
Scientific discourse as interaction: Scientific articles vs. popularizations
Pilar Garcés-Conejos & Antonia Sánchez-Macarro 173
Rhetorical relations and subordination in L2 writing
Katja Pelsmaekers, Chris Braecke & Ronald Geluykens 191
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
II SPOKEN GENRES
Quality choice and quality control
Gordon Tucker 217
Modality in the therapeutic dialogue
Adrienne Chambon & Daniel Simeoni 239
The conversational dynamics of interactional dispute in conflictive calls
for emergency assistance: A single case study
Luis Pérez-González 265
Friends or strangers: Only their phases show for sure
Karen Malcolm 291
Lars Por sena and my bonk manager: A systemic-functional study in the
semogenesis of the language of swearing
Robert Veltman 301
Intonation choices in the English of non-native speakers: An exploratory
study
Martin Hewings 317
Index of subjects 337
Index of names 343
FOREWORD
This volume is based on a selection of the papers originally presented at the Vllth
International Systemic Functional Workshop held in Valencia, Spain, in July 1995, which
have been revised for publication. The main purpose of the workshop was to explore the
nature of the linguistic choices open to speakers and writers for the expression of meaning
in different socio-cultural contexts. The workshop reflected current work on the social
constructs and dynamics which influence linguistic practices. It provided a diverse array
of different aspects and perspectives contributing much to a better understanding of the
different expressive options which language offers as part of the processes through which
we amplify, modify and modulate our social and cultural frames of reference. Throughout
the workshop there was a continuous reflection on the use of language as a social semiotic
from the perspective of power relations, individual interests, professional and institutional
contexts, and the reproduction of ideology. The notion of language as 'choice' as a set of
alternatives for individual, social and cultural expression, was seen as a principal site for
the study of the linguistic problems confronting contemporary society on the threshold
of the twenty-first century.
The papers brought together in this volume relate organically and centrally to these
perspectives, examining in particular the potential for spoken and written language use
and the constraints on such language use which the term 'choice' implies. Many of the
papers draw inspiration from models of language developed by Michael Halliday and
his followers and in particular recent theories of variation in relation to texts and genres
explored by Halliday and others. There is an emphasis on the interdependence and
interaction of linguistic choices across sentence boundaries and speaking turns and a
consistent focus across many papers on the importance of lexicogrammar in the
construction of texts. Several papers consider pedagogical issues and examine differences
and distinctions between native-speaker and non-native-speaker choices in speech and
writing.
The papers in the volume also contribute to our understanding of the central
significance of interpersonal functions in the communication of messages and underline
the importance of a more systematic description of differences in interpersonal language
use in different contexts of practice. By drawing on naturally-occurring data collected in
a wide range of different genres as diverse as academic philosophy articles, scientific
research papers, emergency telephone calls and casual conversation, contributors to
Linguistic Choice across Genres offer numerous new insights and analyses of the relations
between text and context.
viii FOREWORD
Within these domains the papers collectively provide a sense of present achievements
and future directions. The book opens with Gunther Kress's consideration of meaning as
the outcome of social-semiotic work -an opening which forms a natural introduction to
the entire volume. The remainder of the book is divided into two parts: the first being
devoted to written texts, and the second to spoken texts. The papers in both parts offer
specialised textual analysis, raising significant issues for description and application and
setting clear research agendas for the field of language variation, in both theory and
practice.
Each paper is introduced by an abstract which presents the main issues and places the
paper in context; at the end of the volume there is an index of subjects and names which
has a special relevance for both the present volume and the field in general. It is our hope
that these selected papers constitute a varied and stimulating collection and that they will
be read with great interest by all those students, teachers and researchers with a
commitment to theoretical and applied research in the field of language variation.
As editors of the volume we are conscious that many people have contributed to its
production, including many whose names do not appear in the list of contents. But we
should like to first and foremost thank all the contributors for their hard work and
cooperation and for patiently submitting to editorial requests. Particular additional thanks
must go to the organising team in Valencia for their invaluable assistance: Patricia Bou;
Rosana Dolón; Barry Pennock; Ma del Mar Martí Viaño and Carmen Gregori provided
stimulating discussions which helped to define the objectives of the workshop, helped to
convene it and have subsequently offered unstinting moral support, together with
invaluable comment and opinion, during the preparation of this volume. Juan Carlos de
Miguel provided meticulous support in proofreading and preparing the manuscript. Pilar
Garcés offered sound judgement and advice throughout the process. John Hall helped
with his incisive views on English usage.
Special thanks must also be reserved for Konrad Koerner, our series editor, and Ms
Anke de Looper, our in-house publishing contact at John Benjamins, Amsterdam, for
their unfailingly positive approach, constructive criticism and practical guidance.
Many people and institutions, too numerous to mention, contributed, both directly
and indirectly, to the organisation of the Vllth ISFW in Valencia, out of which this volume
has grown. For their generous institutional and financial support our thanks go to the
following: the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Dirección General de
Investigación Científica y Enseñanza Superior; to the local Institutions Generalitat
Valenciana, Conselleria de Cultura, Educació i Ciència; Universidad Internacional
Menéndez y Pelayo (UIMP), and to The British Council.
Antonia Sánchez-Macarro Ronald Carter
Universitat de València, Spain University of Nottingham, England
January 1998
INTRODUCTION