Vague Language Explored

Vague language ('bags of time', 'doing stuff', 'and all that') is an aspect of communicative competence of considerable social importance. This book examines its function. It spans genre analysis, critical discourse analysis, psycholinguistics and cross-cultural sociolinguistics, and suggests applications in TEFL and directions for future research.

SVENJA ADOLPHS is Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, University of Nottingham, UK SARAH ATKINS is a Postgraduate Student of Applied Linguistics, University of Nottingham, UK WINNIE CHENG is a Professor in the Department of English of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong GUY COOK is Professor of Language and Education at the Open University, UK JANET COTTERILL is Senior Lecturer in Language and Communication and Director of Studies of the MA in Forensic Linguistics at Cardiff University, UK JANE EVISON teaches TESOL at the School of Education and is Tutor in Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching, School of English Studies, University of Nottingham, UK KEVIN HARVEY is a Postgraduate Research Student and Member of the Health Language Research Group at the University of Nottingham, UK JANET HOLMES is Professor of Linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand ALMUT KOESTER is Lecturer in English Language, Department of English, University of Birmingham, UK MICHAEL McCARTHY is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Nottingham, UK, Adjunct Professor of Applied Linguistics, Pennsylvania State University, USA, and Adjunct Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Limerick, Ireland ANNE O'KEEFE is Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, Mary Immaculate College (MIC), University of Limerick, Ireland TIM ROWLAND is Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education, University of Cambridge, UK AGNES TERRASCHKE is currently enrolled in a PhD programme at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand HUGH TRAPPES-LOMAX is Deputy Director at the Institute for Applied Language Studies, University of Edinburgh UK MARTIN WARREN is Professor, Department of English, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong