Changing the Topic: An Interactional Linguistics Analysis of Topic Flow in English Conversation

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Ronald Geluykens

Changing the Topic

An Interactional Linguistics Analysis of Topic Flow in English Conversation

Ronald Geluykens

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English

Springer International Publishing AG
10 June 2025

Semantics; Grammar, syntax; ELT: learning material & coursework

Series: Corpus Linguistics and Pragmatics

This book presents an in-depth analysis of how discourse topics are introduced, maintained, and closed in British English conversation. It highlights the crucial role of real-time negotiation and turn-taking in ensuring cohesive topic flow. Using an inductive, bottom-up approach, the book explores topicality through an operational definition grounded in the traditional Discourse Analysis (DA) concept of given versus new information. This operational framework is used to identify potential topic shifts and is complemented by a detailed micro-analysis of interactional sequences. Inspired by Conversation Analysis (CA), it investigates how topics are negotiated, trouble spots are resolved, and cohesion is collaboratively achieved. The combination of DA and CA methodology, combined with its attention to the linguistic resources employed by participants, explores an exciting new area of Interactional Linguistics. The book offers future avenues for potential contrastive studies on topic flow which take into account regional, social, typological, stylistic, and diachronic variation. It is of interest to researchers working in the fields of information flow, conversational interaction, and functional linguistics in general. Its theoretical apparatus contributes to a clearer understanding of the elusive notion of topicality.

By: Ronald Geluykens
Imprint: Springer International Publishing AG
Country of Publication: Switzerland
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 155mm,
ISBN: 9783031869112
ISBN 10: 3031869117
Series: Corpus Linguistics and Pragmatics
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 10 June 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Ronald Geluykens is Professor at the University of Oldenburg, Germany.