Book Description

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 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. "Kerry Mullan's work constitutes a substantial and original contribution to cross-linguistic and cross-cultural comparison. 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 Karkkainen, University of Oulu "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." Hilary Chappell, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris