Intercultural Discourse and Communication: The Essential Readings is a collection of articles that discuss major theoretical approaches, case studies of cultural and sub-cultural contact from around the globe, issues of identity in 'bicultural' individuals, and the 'real world' implications of intercultural contact and conflict. Collects articles that describe and analyze discourse and communication in several channels, including spoken, written, and signed. Considers various group organizations such as culture/subculture, gender, race/ethnicity, social class, age, and region. Includes brief introductions to each section by the editors that explain main concepts. Contains discussion questions that enhance the book’s value for courses.

This book is the result of research which was begun over twenty years ago and which spanned two countries, as well as two decades. It developed out of the author’s work in speech therapy, but took on the in-depth theoretical investigation of the work of Bernstein, Vygotsky, Luria, and Hallidayan linguistics in an investigation of ways of thinking and the use of language, and particularly the relationship between group processes and individual learning. The small sample analysed in the book, taken from classroom data gathered in a small town in Tuscany and a small group of adolescents, and put under the microscope of quantitative and qualitative analysis involving multiple tests regarding various linguistic and socio-cultural elements, is testament to the complexity of such a setting and the nature of classroom interaction. The complex interactions between theory and practice, and between individual consciousness and socially organised experience are laid out in detail throughout the book, which offers both wide ranging and in-depth theoretical analysis of the relevant literature and insights into the careful sampling procedures used in the classroom all brought together to provide up-to-date and detailed information for teachers and to highlight aspects of diversity in the appropriation of cultural tools. The book can be read in two different ways, each one of them informative in itself. For those interested in socio-culturally informed theories of language, this book will serve as a guide to the relationships between three possible approaches: namely, the sociological approach of Basil Bernstein, the cultural-historical approach of Lev Vygotsky, and the linguistic approach of Michael Halliday. For those interested in empirical analysis of discourses produced by adolescents from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, the book provides rich material about language use by Italian and immigrant youth.

This newly revised edition is both a lively introduction and practical guide to the main concepts and challenges of intercultural communication. Grounded in interactional sociolinguistics and discourse analysis, this work integrates theoretical principles and methodological advice, presenting students, researchers, and practitioners with a comprehensive and unified resource. Features new original theory, expanded treatment of generations, gender and corporate and professional discourse Offers improved organization and added features for student and classroom use, including advice on research projects, questions for discussion, and references at the end of each chapter Extensively revised with newly added material on computer mediated communication, sexuality and globalization

Discourse as Cultural Struggle challenges the cultural imbalance in current research traditions, and argues for a culturalist perspective in facilitating better intercultural exchange amidst accelerated processes of globalization. It is the first engagement with discourses in non-mainstream cultures. Covering a wide range of issues in public, professional, media and intercultural communication, the twelve original essays here tackle culturally pressing issues by aligning viewpoints from various geopolitical contexts. This is a thought-provoking book for scholars and researchers of language and communication studies who seek innovative approaches in their fields of interest. “Here is a book that takes diversity seriously and lifts it to the level of an epistemic paradigm. What we know is culturally constituted and discursively articulated; this relativism is converted into an absolutism due to historical power relations, and we find ourselves a curious situation in which anything that suggests diversity at fundamental levels of thought becomes a serious theoretical problem. This book addresses this absurdity, and in the context of globalization, the exercise is to be welcomed.” — Jan Blommaert, University of London “This volume opens up new and innovative perspectives for all interested in discourse analysis, cross-cultural communication, and social change. It links and relates approaches which originate more in the ‘West’ with those stemming from the ‘East’. Thus, a challenging debate is finally made possible which ultimately could and should lead to more collaborative research and, even more importantly, to better and mutual understanding.”— Ruth Wodak, Lancaster University “This fine volume enters the large field of Discourse Studies by insisting that cultural knowledge of discourses is essential, and thus necessary for our understanding of how discourse shapes human communities and relations among them. It is a rich collection of conceptual and case studies, a fine addition to our literatures, and worthy of our careful study.” — Donal Carbaugh, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Mary Jane Collier brings together essays that address issues such as how culture and discourse are related. It examines how people with varied cultural identities draw their boundaries and create distinctiveness through their communication with one another, and presents timely and relevant research on cultural difference as a contemporary social problem. The contributors to this volume represent a variety of cultural groups, and their discussions reflect a diverse array of perspectives on discourse analysis, ranging from localized, situated interpretations of group members' in-group dialogues to informed analyses of public images and texts. The content of this work demonstrates that research on discourse and culture is relevant to the dynamic global and sociocultural environment.

This book is based on the premise that student sojourners and educators can benefit from a deeper understanding of the language, identity, and cultural factors that impact on the development of intercultural communicative competence and intercultural personhood.

The Handbook of Intercultural Discourse and Communication brings together internationally-renowned scholars from a range of fields to survey the theoretical perspectives and applied work, including example analyses, in this burgeoning area of linguistics. Features contributions from established researchers in sociolinguistics and intercultural discourse Explores the theoretical perspectives underlying work in the field Examines the history of the field, work in cross-cultural communication, and features of discourse Establishes the scope of this interdisciplinary field of study Includes coverage on individual linguistic features, such as indirectness and politeness, as well as sample analyses of IDC exchanges