'Spoken Discourse and Social Interaction' is an indispensable guide to a burgeoning and fascinating field of study. In twenty-two concise and highly readable chapters, Alan Firth outlines the key concepts, dominant approaches and major findings in spoken interaction research over the last four decades. Rather than being tied to a particular approach or paradigm, the book offers a comprehensive and inclusive overview, where emphasis is placed on describing the interactional and contextual nature of spoken discourse in a variety of contexts and social encounters. Topics covered include beginnings, endings, approaches, context, culture and ethnicity, data and transcription, analysis, identity, power, gender, narrative, miscommunication, humour, institutional interaction, grammar and coherence, argument, and embodied discourse. This book will be essential reading for students of linguistics, sociology, communication and media studies, psychology, and anthropology.

The book includes discussion questions for each chapter, suggestions for further reading, and a glossary of key terms.

Contents: Spoken discourse and social interaction Spoken discourse and structure Context Coherence and cohesion Understanding and interpretation Embodied discourse Strategy Casual conversation Institutional discourse Analysing spoken discourse Conclusions and implications