Language and Interaction: Discussions with John J. Gumperz (review)

John J. Gumperz is well known for his pioneering and significant contributions to interactional sociolinguistics, a label first introduced in his Discourse strategies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982). As the editors note in the preface, this volume aims ‘to propose ways in which Gumperz’s research may speak to the theory and practice of both communication analysis and interaction analysis, present and future’ (vii). This is the right book for anyone interested in Gumperz and his approach to language in interaction.

This volume contains ten chapters, which focus on Gumperz’s interactional approach to the analysis of language in use and the notion of contextualization cues in particular. In Ch. 1,‘Presenting John J. Gumperz’, Aldo di Luzio points out that in interactional sociolinguistics, ‘the analyst’s interpretation is a reconstruction of the participants’ interpretation’ (6). However, how can we make sure that the analyst’s interpretation matches the participants’ interpretation? In Carlo L. Prevignano and Aldo di Luzio’s ‘A discussion with John J. Gumperz’, Gumperz replies that ‘only through context do you have the right interpretation’ (27). But, to determine the scope of the very concept of context is never an easy matter. And some readers may wonder if it is always the case that ‘all communication is intentional’ (11), as Gumperz has argued.

When talking about context, one is most likely to have in mind Gumperz’s notion of contextualization cues, which, as noted by Stephen C. Levinson in ‘Contextualizing “contextualization cues” ’,is ‘the central innovation’ (32) in Gumperz’s discourse analysis. The importance of this very notion is also highlighted in Ch. 4, ‘Contextualization and social meaning-making practices’, where Paul J. Thibault elaborates on context-dependent and context-independent meanings, and three generalized meaning-making strategies (indexicality, intertextuality, and metadiscursivity). In point of fact, given the dynamic nature of the cues of context, there are always alternate ways to interpret them.

In Ch. 5, Carlo L. Prevignano presents a different perspective on Gumperz’s work, arguing for viewing the latter as a minimist in invoking a set of minims to explain everyday human interaction. In Ch. 6, Afzal Ballim explores the possibility of interaction between Gumperz’s work and natural language processing. In Ch. 7, Susan L. Eerdmans sums up Gumperz’s current contributions to interactional sociolinguistics, including the important work he has carried out in the field of second language teaching and learning. In Ch. 8, John J. Gumperz himself responds to various contributions to the volume. In Ch. 9, Paul J. Thibault deals with ‘Body dynamics, social meaning-making, and scale-heterogeneity: Re-considering contextualization cues and language as mixed-mode semiosis’. Ch. 10 is Carlo L. Prevignano and Paul J. Thibault’s ‘Continuing the discussion with John J. Gumperz’. This volume closes with a bio-bibliographical note on Gumperz, and subject and author indices.

The articles in this volume, most of which (except the preface and Chs. 8, 9, and 10) appeared in the editors’ Discussing communication analysis 1: John J. Gumperz (Lausanne: Beta Press, 1997) and which have been thoroughly revised and updated for the present edition, provide a good chance for a deep understanding of Gumperz’s current thinking about interactional sociolinguistics and how it can be conducive to our work on language in interaction.