The power of questioning: A case study of courtroom discourse

Vol.3,No.2(2010)

Abstract
The article discusses linguistic approaches to power and deals with question-answer types of interaction in institutional discourse. The main focus is on discursive tools available to participants with an institutional status and the way these powerful participants restrict their interlocutors through questioning. The article starts with introducing general principles applicable to all institutional discourse types; it then proceeds to demonstrating these principles on a detailed analysis of several extracts from courtroom discourse.

Keywords:
institutional discourse; courtroom discourse; cross-examination; discursive resources; pragmatic strategies; power; closed questions; open questions
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