Includes index of terms, references and further reading sections.

Introduction

Top down and bottom up

Text and discourse

Sentence and utterance

Exchange and conversation

Unit one: The nature of writing -- What is writing? -- Other features of writing -- Three influential factors -- Conclusion

Unit two: The nature of speaking -- What is speaking? -- Simply sounds? -- Developing speaking skills -- Appropriateness -- Context, purpose, receiver -- The nature of everyday speech -- The phatic nature of conversation -- To speak or not to speak -- Conclusion

Unit three: The language of writing -- Context -- Effects on language -- Genre -- Genre expectations -- Language of specialised writing -- Conclusion

Unit four: The language of speaking -- Lexis -- Lexical creativity -- Discourse Functions of speech -- Conclusion

Unit five: The relationship between speech and writing -- Choosing whether to speak or to write -- Factors affecting choice -- Effects on language -- A question of degree -- Features of spoken and written texts -- Text and language -- Text comparison -- Conclusion

Unit six: Where boundaries meet -- The purpose of the text -- Written texts which use features of spoken texts -- What is the purpose? -- Written texts which ‘masquerade’ as other text types -- Intertextuality -- Spoken texts which don’t fit the mold -- Texts with features of both writing and speaking -- Written dialogue -- Dialogue in fiction -- Effects of technology -- Conclusion

''This accessible satellite textbook in the Routledge Intertext series is unique in offering students hands-on practical experience of textual analysis focused on speech and writing. Written in a clear, user-friendly style, it combines practical activities with texts, accompanied by commentaries and suggestions for further study. It can be used individually or in conjunction with the series core textbook Working With Texts: A core introduction to language analysis. Aimed at A and AS Level and beginning undergraduate students, the Language of Speech and Writing: Analyses the processes involved in writing and speaking; Highlights the differences between these two modes of communication; Explores written texts from recipes to legal language, spoken texts from telephone conversations to interviews and mixed-mode texts from email to adverts; Compares and contrasts spoken and written texts on the same theme.'' (Back Cover).

"Aimed at beginning undergraduate students." (Book Cover)