Can interactive discourse items contribute to the coherence of spoken discourse?
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2006 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Mačura, M., Miššíková, G. (eds) Trends and Perspectives, 1st Nitra Conference on Discourse Studies |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Linguistics |
| Keywords | interactive discourse items - coherence - spoken interaction - speech situation - discourse function |
| Description | The contribution indicates that interactive discourse items contribute to the coherence of spoken discourse because they perform functions in spoken interaction which they do not have in the written variety of the language. Owing to these functions, they are important for the smooth flow of spoken interaction. They facilitate the hearers understanding and interpretation of what the current speaker wants to convey and thus participate in establishing coherent discourse. However, there are some differences in the way coherence is achieved in different genres of spoken English, which is reflected in the function interactive D-items perform and in their frequency. These differences are influenced above all by the overall character of the speech situation in a given genre, in which the entire situational context plays a crucial role. |