Expressing Opinions in French and Australian English Discourse
A semantic and interactional analysis
Based on the analysis of conversations between French and Australian English speakers discussing various topics, including their experiences as non-native speakers in France or Australia, this book combines subjective personal testimonies with an objective linguistic analysis of the expression of opinion in discourse.
It offers a new perspective on French and Australian English interactional style by examining the discourse markers I think, je pense, je crois and je trouve. It is shown that the prosody, intonation unit position, and the surrounding context of these markers are all fundamental to their function and meaning in interaction. In addition, this book offers the first detailed comparative semantic study of the three comparative French expressions in interaction.
The book will appeal to all those interested in linguistics, French and Australian English interactional style, cross-cultural communication, and discourse analysis. Students and teachers of French will be interested in the semantic analysis of the French expressions, the authentic interactional data and the personal testimonies of the participants.
It offers a new perspective on French and Australian English interactional style by examining the discourse markers I think, je pense, je crois and je trouve. It is shown that the prosody, intonation unit position, and the surrounding context of these markers are all fundamental to their function and meaning in interaction. In addition, this book offers the first detailed comparative semantic study of the three comparative French expressions in interaction.
The book will appeal to all those interested in linguistics, French and Australian English interactional style, cross-cultural communication, and discourse analysis. Students and teachers of French will be interested in the semantic analysis of the French expressions, the authentic interactional data and the personal testimonies of the participants.
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 200] 2010. xvii, 282 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Published online on 2 November 2010
Published online on 2 November 2010
© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Table of Contents
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Acknowledgments | p. xi
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Transcription conventions | p. xiii
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List of tables and figures | pp. xv–xvi
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List of appendices | p. xvii
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Chapter 1. Introduction | pp. 1–4
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Chapter 2. Methodology and data collection | pp. 5–27
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Chapter 3. Overview of interactional style and discourse markers | pp. 29–57
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Chapter 4. The role of I think in Australian English interaction | pp. 59–123
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Chapter 5. Je pense, je crois and je trouve | pp. 125–148
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Chapter 6. The role of je pense in French interaction | pp. 149–190
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Chapter 7. The role of je crois in French interaction | pp. 191–221
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Chapter 8. The role of je trouve in French interaction | pp. 223–252
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Chapter 9. Conclusion | pp. 253–264
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Appendices | pp. 277–279
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Index | pp. 281–282
“This book offers remarkable insights into how native French and Australian speakers express their opinions. Furthermore, it is the first detailed comparative study of the three French expressions je pense, je crois and je trouve in interaction, which it contrasts with I think in English.[The] findings highlight what is culturally important for speakers of the two cultures in relation to the expression of opinion, an added dimension that also makes the book a major contributor to the field of Intercultural Language Teaching.”
Christine Béal, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3
“This is probably the first book to expose in detail the comparative semantics of three discourse markers in French that are used above all to express opinions. What is refreshing about its approach is that the study makes use of authentic conversational data from native French and Australian English speakers.The book will not fail to satisfy its readers about many intriguing linguistic differences between French and Australians that may prove to reflect some deeper cultural differences regarding the degree to which speakers can openly express opinions. Dr Mullan was the recipient of an Outstanding Thesis Award in 2007 conferred by La Trobe University in Melbourne.”
Hilary Chappell, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris
“Kerry Mullan's work constitutes a substantial and original contribution to cross-linguistic and cross-cultural comparison. It combines multiple perspectives, those of interactional sociolinguistics, politeness theory, semantic primes and grammaticization, in the analysis of an original database of semi-structured interviews carefully collected and transcribed by the author. While the English and French discourse markers examined are deceptively similar, the author is able to tease out the interactional functions and semantic meanings of each on its own merits, but with a keen eye to the often subtle differences in meaning and function between them. The book's best contribution is indeed in the insightfulness of the contextual analyses of the chosen markers, which renders the claims made about the French and Australian English interactional styles thoroughly convincing.”
Elise Kärkkäinen, University of Oulu
“In this thorough study, Kerry Mullan analyses how speakers of French and Australian English express opinions in their native language. Mullan’s analysis of conversations between native speakers discussing a variety of different topics provides many fascinating examples of linguistic and cultural differences between speakers of the two languages. This study will therefore hopefully go some way to dispelling many of the cultural stereotypes that we hold, and to improving cross-cultural communication between Australian English and French speakers. [...]
On the whole, Mullan’s study is extremely thorough, her methodological choices are consistently justified [...] and her conclusions backed up by quantitative data, as well as a
rigorous and methodical examination of the intonation unit position, prosody, context, and core meanings of the expressions, to provide valuable insights into cultural values which are often misunderstood. The book is accessible to nonspecialists thanks to Mullan’s clear explanations of the various concepts, and notions that she uses.”
On the whole, Mullan’s study is extremely thorough, her methodological choices are consistently justified [...] and her conclusions backed up by quantitative data, as well as a
rigorous and methodical examination of the intonation unit position, prosody, context, and core meanings of the expressions, to provide valuable insights into cultural values which are often misunderstood. The book is accessible to nonspecialists thanks to Mullan’s clear explanations of the various concepts, and notions that she uses.”
Ann Coadya, The University of Aix-Marseille and Sheffield Hallam University, in Journal of Pragmatics, Issue 43(2011)
“This book provides a thorough and informative investigation which valuably contributes to the study of discourse markers, discourse analysis, interactional research and cross-cultural communication. [...] Those interested in discourse markers, discourse analysis, and interactional analysis will find the approach thorough and effective. The cross-cultural comparison offers new insights for research in these fields and likewise new ideas for examining differences across and within languages and cultures. Mullan’s work is a well-conceived, well-implemented and well-presented study which emphasises the interactional significance of these expressions.”
Erin Moore, University of Melbourne, in Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, Vol. 35.1, (2012), pages 120 -123.
“Il s’agit d’une étude intéressante et méticuleuse, qui apporte de nouvelles connaissances sur les usages des quatre expressions en question. [...]
L’ouvrage [...] a toutes les chances de se révéler fécond en donnant l’impulsion à des recherches encore plus poussées dans cette direction innovatrice.”
L’ouvrage [...] a toutes les chances de se révéler fécond en donnant l’impulsion à des recherches encore plus poussées dans cette direction innovatrice.”
Maj-Britt Mosegaard Hansen, University of Manchester, in Revue Romane Vol. 47:2 (2012)
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Subjects
Main BIC Subject
CFG: Semantics, Pragmatics, Discourse Analysis
Main BISAC Subject
LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General