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The forms and functions of “Breaking into song” during in-group conversations

  • Rosie Oxbury

    Rosie Oxbury is a current PhD student in the Department of Linguistics at QMUL, conducting research on language change and youth language in London. Her research interests include language contact, variationist sociolinguistics, interactional sociolinguistics and language acquisition.

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Published/Copyright: February 15, 2020

Abstract

This article adopts an interactional sociolinguistic perspective to investigate the forms and functions of breaking into song in in-group interaction. The data are approximately two hours of interaction among three sisters in their home, during which the sisters occasionally sing together or make references to songs they know. I examine how singing in interaction promotes affiliation and solidarity between participants. In terms of form, the turn-by turn format of instances of singing is investigated, and evidence is presented to argue that joint singing constitutes a speech activity. In terms of function, it is argued that joint singing is a site of shared affect. Singing also makes participants’ relationship with one another relevant in the interaction at hand by indexing the familiarity dimension of that relationship. These affordances of singing allow it to become a resource at moments of trouble to restore affiliation.

About the author

Rosie Oxbury

Rosie Oxbury is a current PhD student in the Department of Linguistics at QMUL, conducting research on language change and youth language in London. Her research interests include language contact, variationist sociolinguistics, interactional sociolinguistics and language acquisition.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Devyani Sharma and Jenny Cheshire for their encouragement and advice with this work; Zoe Adams for her feedback; audiences at Queen Mary and iMean 5; and the reviewers for their detailed feedback and suggestions.

Transcription conventions

Based on Sidnell (2010: ix–x)

Rise in intonation on that syllable
Step down in intonation on that syllable
^Rise in voice register
_Drop in voice register
Musical notes mark the start and finish of singing within a turn
=No gap between turns
[word]Overlapped speech
<word> Slow speech
≫word≪Fast speech
((sound))Extralinguistic information
(word)Transcription uncertain
( )

(…)
Unclear speech
(0.5)Silence duration
(.)Micropause
.Final intonational contour.
?High rising terminal
¿Less extreme rise “?”
,Less extreme rise than “¿”.
:Drawn out sound
WOrdEmphasis
°word°Quiet speech
wo(h)rdLaughter breaking up a word
rrtrilled /r/
RPostvocalic /r/
\glottal stop

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Published Online: 2020-02-15
Published in Print: 2020-02-25

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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