The ‘Mixed Game Model’ represents a holistic theory of dialogue which starts from human beings’ competence-in-performance and describes how language is integrated in a general theory of human action and behaviour. Human beings are able to adapt to changing conditions and to pursue their interests by the integrated use of various communicative means, mainly verbal, perceptual and cognitive. The core unit is the dialogic action game or ‘the mixed game’ with human beings at the centre acting and reacting in cultural surroundings. The key to opening up the complex whole is human beings’ nature. The Mixed Game Model demonstrates how the different disciplines of the natural and social sciences and the humanities are mutually interconnected. After a detailed overview of the state of the art, the fundamentals of the theory are laid down. They include a typology of action games which ranges from minimal games to complex institutional games. The description is illustrated by analyses of authentic games.
As of July 2024, this e-book is available as Open Access under the CC BY-NC-ND license.

Istvan Kecskes, Professor of Linguistics and Communication, State University of New York, Albany:
Professor Edda Weigand’s new book “Dialogue - The Mixed Game” offers an entirely new look at language use. It focuses on the complexity of human communication in a holistic approach by analyzing how human beings tackle the challenges of social life in dialogic interaction. Dr. Weigand claims that language use cannot be separated from the use of other human abilities. Consequently, only an integrative approach can explain the complexity of human dialogic interaction. The book is full of intriguing ideas, insightful observations and makes a rigorous analysis of language use. It certainly is a must read to all who are interested in any aspect of language.