Direct Speech, Self-presentation and Communities of Practice

Rezensionen / Stimmen

Sofia Lampropoulou's beautifully-exemplified Direct Speech, Self-presentation and Communities of Practice makes interesting contributions to the fields of narrative, the nature of talk, and the construction of gender. Commendably clear in its methodology, it also constitutes an excellent example of contemporary empirical research in linguistics. In this thorough exploration of the richness and complexity of speech representation in everyday storytelling Sofia Lampropoulou demonstrates the power of narrative analysis in the investigation of identities as emergent in social practices. Sofia Lampropoulou's in-depth study of (direct) speech representation in Greek adolescents' naturally occurring stories makes an original contribution to our understanding of the fascinating relationship between representation through discourse -- including self-presentation and positioning in groups and communities -- and social identities. A valuable resource for scholars with an interest in the linguistic analysis of narratives, communities of practice, and the construction of identity in talk. [T]he book probes and explores new and relevant aspects of interactive storytelling, provides input to the field of narratology through the analysis of direct speech, and illustrates how the complexity and diversity of speech representation is relevant in both the local and socio-cultural context in which it is embedded. The book surely lends a new dimension to Discourse Studies readers interested in interactive storytelling analyses. * Discourse Studies 16(1) *