Walker2014a

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Walker2014a
BibType ARTICLE
Key Walker2014a
Author(s) Traci Walker
Title Form ≠ function: the independence of prosody and action
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, IL, Transcription, Prosody, Action
Publisher
Year 2014
Language English
City
Month
Journal Research on Language and Social Interaction
Volume 47
Number 1
Pages 1–16
URL Link
DOI 10.1080/08351813.2014.871792
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

This article argues for the importance of describing form independently of function, especially for prosodic and phonetic forms. Form and function are often conflated by language-in-interaction researchers when they give descriptive labels to the sound of talk (e.g., “upgraded” pitch, “continuing” intonation), and that tempts researchers to see a given form as having a given function or practice—often one that is influenced by the descriptive label. I argue that we should discipline ourselves to keeping to a purely technical description of any form (practice); that will then make it possible unambiguously to show how that form contributes to a particular function (action), without presuming the relationship to be exclusive. Data are in American and British English.

Notes