Double-voicing in Our Everyday Lives

Abstract

This chapter sets the scene for the rest of the book by presenting its purpose, theoretical framework and three interwoven lines of inquiry. These are, first, the extent to which double-voicing is associated with issues of power; secondly, the constitutive interrelationship of gender and double-voicing; and thirdly, how speakers who double-voice index linguistic insecurity and/or linguistic expertise. The chapter proposes that while double-voicing may be a relatively unfamiliar construct in some linguistic fields, it is a common and inherent part of everyday communication within many social, educational and professional contexts.