Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Research Methods in Language and Education pp 339–351Cite as

Linguistic Ethnography

Part of the Encyclopedia of Language and Education book series (ELE)

Abstract

This chapter introduces the developing field of linguistic ethnography. The work of scholars who are particularly influential in linguistic ethnography is discussed – in particular, Hymes, Gumperz, Goffman, and Erickson – and linked to the work of scholars currently working in this field, including Creese, Roberts, Rampton, and Lefstein and Snell. Drawing on contextual realities and mainly North American historical antecedents, it explains why linguistic ethnography is mainly a European endeavor and why it has emerged at this point in time. In particular, the chapter suggests that the formation of the linguistic ethnography forum (LEF: www.lingethnog.net) is centrally important in providing a community of practice for researchers using ethnography and linguistic analysis in their work. The chapter also points to the increasing impact of interdisciplinarity on the development of linguistic ethnography. It argues that its democratic approach to participation and interpretation of local perspectives is often a good starting point around which interdisciplinary teams can cohere. In conclusion, the chapter suggests that the ability to work collaboratively with professional groups and like-minded researchers has been one of the main benefits of the development of the field and that it is this breadth and reach which hold the most promise for linguistic ethnography.

Keywords

  • Anthropology
  • Discourse
  • Interdisiciplinarity
  • Metatheorists
  • Postmodernity

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   289.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Agha, A. (2005). Voice, footing, enregisterment. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 15(1), 38–59.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bezemer, J. (2008). Displaying orientation in the classroom: Students’ multimodal responses to teacher instructions. Linguistics and Education, 19(2), 166–178.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bezemer, J. (2015). Partnerships in research: Doing linguistic ethnography with and for practitioners. In Snell, J., Shaw, S., & Copland, F. (Eds.), Linguistic ethnography: Interdisciplinary explorations. London: Palgrave Macmillan

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackledge, A., & Creese, A. (2010). Multilingualism: A Critical Perspective. London: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blommaert, J. (2010). Policy, policing and the ecology of social norms: Ethnographic monitoring revisited. Working Papers in Urban Language & Literacies. Paper 63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blommaert, J., Dong, J., & Jie, D. (2010). Ethnographic fieldwork: A beginner’s guide. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blommaert, J., Leppänen, & Spotti, M. (2012). Endangering multilingualism. In J. Blommaert, S. Leppänen, P. Pahat, & T. Räisänen (Eds.), Dangerous multilingualism: Northern perspectives on order, purity and normality. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, P., & Levinson, S. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copland, F. (2011). Negotiating face in the feedback conference: A linguistic ethnographic approach. Journal of Pragmatics, 43(15), 3832–3843.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Creese, A. (2005). Teacher collaboration and talk in multilingual classrooms. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creese, A. (2008). Linguistic ethnography. In K. A. King & N. H. Hornberger (Eds.), Encyclopedia of language and education: Research methods in language and education (2nd ed., Vol. 10, pp. 229–241). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creese, A. (2010). Linguistic ethnography. In E. Litosseliti (Ed.), Research methods in linguistics (pp. 138–154). London: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creese, A., & Blackledge, A. (2015). Translanguaging and identity in educational settings. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, 20–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creese, A., & Copland, F. (2015). Linguistic ethnography: Collecting, analysing and presenting data. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, F. (1990). Qualitative methods. In R. L. Linn & F. Erickson (Eds.), Research in teaching and learning (Vol. 2). New York: MacMillan Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, F. (1996). Ethnographic microanalysis. In S. L. McKay & N. H. Hornberger (Eds.), Sociolinguistics and language teaching (pp. 283–306). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, F. (2004a). Demystifying data construction and analysis. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 35(4), 486–493.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, F. (2004b). Talk and social theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flynn, P., van Praet, E., & Jacobs, G. (2010). Emerging linguistic ethnographic perspectives on institutional discourses. Text & Talk, 30(2), 97–103.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction ritual. New York: Pantheon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goffman, E. (1981). Forms of talk. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodenough, W. H. (1994). Toward a working theory of culture. In R. Borosky (Ed.), Assessing cultural anthropology (pp. 262–273). New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gumperz, J. J. (1982). Discourse strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Gumperz, J. J. (1999). On interactional sociolinguistic method. In S. Sarangi & C. Roberts (Eds.), Talk, work and institutional order (pp. 453–471). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Heller, M. (2011). Paths to post-nationalism. A critical ethnography of language and identity. New York: Oxford University Press.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hymes, D. (1968). The ethnography of speaking. In J. Fishman (Ed.), Readings in the sociology of language (pp. 99–138). The Hague: Moulton.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguistics (pp. 269–293). Harmondsworth: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hymes, D. (1974). Foundations in sociolinguistics: An ethnographic approach. Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hymes, D. (1980). Language in education: Ethnolinguistic essays. Language and ethnography series. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, G., & Slembrouck, S. (2010). Notes on linguistic ethnography as a liminal activity. Text & Talk, 30(2), 235–244.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Jakobson, R. (1960). Linguistics and poetics. From selected writings II. The Hague: Mouton.

    Google Scholar 

  • LeBarron, C. (2008). Microethnography. In W. Donsbach (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Communication (pp. 763–72). Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefstein, A., & Snell, J. (2013). Better than best practice: Developing learning and teaching through dialogue. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maybin, J., & Tusting, K. (2011). Linguistic ethnography. In J. Simpson (Ed.), Routledge handbook of applied linguistics (pp. 515–528). Abingdon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • McElhinny, B., Hols, M., Holtzener, J., Neunger, S., & Hicks, C. (2003). Gender, publication and citation in sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. Language in Society, 32, 299–328.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • McDermott, R. P. (1976). ‘Kids make sense: An ethnographic account of the interactional management of success and failure in one first grade classroom’. Standford University, CA: Unpulbished PhD dissertation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rampton, B. (2006). Language in late modernity: Interaction in an urban school. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rampton, B. (2007a). Neo-Hymesian linguistic ethnography in the United Kingdom. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 11(5), 584–607.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Rampton, B., (2007b). Linguistic ethnography, interactional sociolinguistics and the study of identities. Working Papers in Urban Language and Literacies, 43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rampton, B. (2009). Interaction ritual and not just artful performance in crossing and stylization. Language in Society, 38(02), 149–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rampton, B. (2014). Crossing: Language and ethnicity among adolescents (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rampton, B., Tusting, K., Maybin, J., Barwell, R., Creese, A., Lytra, V. (2004). UK linguistic ethnography: A discussion paper. Unpublished. www.lingethnog.org.uk

  • Rampton, B., Maybin, J., Roberts, C. (2015). Introduction: Explorations and encounters in linguistic ethnography. In J. Snell, S. Shaw, F. Copland (Eds.), Linguistic ethnography: Interdisciplinary explorations. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, C. (2011). Gatekeeping discourse in employment interviews. In C. Candlin & S. Sarangi (Eds.), Handbook of communication in organisations and professions (pp. 407–432). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, C. (2012). Translating global experience into global models of competency: Linguistic inequalities in the job interview. Diversities, 14(2), 49–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rock, F. (2015). Bursting the bonds: Policing linguistic ethnography. In J. Snell, S. Shaw, F. Copland (Eds.), Linguistic ethnography: Interdisciplinary explorations. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sapir, E. (1921). Language: An Introduction to the study of speech. London: Hart-Davies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snell, J., Shaw, S., & Copland, F. (Eds.) (2015). Linguistic ethnography: interdisciplinary explorations. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swinglehurst, D. (2015). How linguistic ethnography may enhance our understanding of electronic patient records in healthcare settings. In J. Snell, S. Shaw, F. Copland (Eds.), Linguistic ethnography: Interdisciplinary explorations. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tusting, K., & Maybin, J. (2007). Linguistic ethnography and interdisciplinarity: Opening the discussion. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 11(5), 575–583.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MOSAIC Center for Research on Multilingualism, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Angela Creese

  2. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, United Kingdom

    Fiona Copland

Authors
  1. Angela Creese
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fiona Copland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Angela Creese or Fiona Copland .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Kendall A. King

  2. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Dr. Yi-Ju Lai

  3. Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Prof. Stephen May

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this entry

Cite this entry

Creese, A., Copland, F. (2017). Linguistic Ethnography. In: King, K., Lai, YJ., May, S. (eds) Research Methods in Language and Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02249-9_25

Download citation

search

Navigation