Discourse Studies | 2019
Book review: Terhi Korkiakangas, Communication, Gaze and Autism: A Multimodal Interaction Perspective
Abstract
(Chapter 5). In addition to print chapters, Couper-Kuhlen and Selting provide online supplementary chapters on stance, footing and storytelling (Online-Chapters B–D). This section addresses topics typically discussed in key texts about CA. Couper-Kuhlen and Selting, however, sustain their efforts to make clear the differences between the IL perspective and other approaches, describing specifically how influences from CA are used in this approach. In each chapter, they provide brief summaries of concepts and definitions, and many examples from past and current research in multiple languages. Thus, the key strengths of this section are that it provides an in-depth orientation to the organization of talk-in-interaction and it is written in a pedagogical style that provides multiple opportunities for readers to make sense of key concepts. The second part of the book includes three chapters on topics related to how linguistic resources are used in interaction across languages. Notably, Couper-Kuhlen and Selting present this section with caution, warning that ‘categories developed for the description of one language do not necessarily transfer to other languages, much less to all other languages’ (p. 355, emphasis in original). Explicit discussion of dilemmas surrounding the applicability of language-based research findings is particularly important for newcomers interested in conducting studies in languages other than English. Throughout the chapters, Couper-Kuhlen and Selting demonstrate the constraints on applying English-based findings to other languages, while also offering suggestions for making meaningful comparisons. Topics covered in this section include sentences, clauses and phrases (Chapter 6), clause combinations (Chapter 7) and one-word constructions (Chapter 8). This part of the book offers an important guide and resource for linguistic scholars from various perspectives engaged in comparative analyses of language use in interaction. The final chapter of this book considers the key implications of the findings from IL research for language theory. Couper-Kuhlen and Selting present arguments about language and its features, design, variation, diversity and universals, linking each argument to specific chapters of the book. I found the organization of this chapter particularly compelling as it allows readers to move quickly between theoretical claims made by the authors and evidence presented throughout the book. Overall, this textbook provides an impressive compilation of materials otherwise dispersed in journals, books and other academic publications. I envision this book as a primary text for introductory and advanced courses in linguistics for undergraduate and graduate students. With this book, Couper-Kuhlen and Selting offer a depth and breadth of coverage of the IL perspective and a key resource for students, instructors and researchers alike.