Language and Professional Identity

This book explores the ways in which professional groups develop specific interactional procedures for conducting and representing their activities, all of which contribute to a distinctive collaborative identity. It highlights the drawbacks as well as the advantages of collaborative talk, pointing to ways of improving professional performance.

Keith Richards is an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, UK. His main research interests lie in the area of professional interaction and his recent publications include Qualitative Inquiry in TESOL, Applying Conversation Analysis (edited with Paul Seedhouse), and Professional Encounters in TESOL (edited with Sue Garton).

Acknowledgements Transcription Conventions Introduction Collaborative Identity: The Power of the Group Staying Onside: The Negotiation of Argument The Joke's on Them: Varieties of Humour in Collaborative Talk The Interactional Dynamic: Stories From the Back Region Seeing Things Our Way: The Establishment of Common Perspectives Us and Them: Constructing the Other Conclusion References Index