Blog Archives

Are you even listening to me?: Miscommunication and the performance of attention

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Nic Subtirelu — 1 Comment

We spend a lot of time talking everyday, much of this in face-to-face communication (yes, even in spite of the rise of digital technologies). When we do so, we rely on the cooperation of another person. One way we expect…

Your professor does speak English: Competence and cooperation in classroom communication

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Nic Subtirelu — 2 Comments

Recently, I’ve been engaged with a research project looking at the discourse of RateMyProfessors.com, a website where students rate and comment on their university or college instructors. I’ve been paying special attention to how students talk about instructors who are…

Miscommunication in a pluralistic society: Remembering John Gumperz

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Nic Subtirelu — Leave a comment

Last week, a man who most people have probably never heard of died: John Gumperz. He was, however, a very important discourse analyst and sociolinguist. His work has had an impact on my own thinking particularly about my approach to…