Unidirectional floating of information: A case study of polylogue in a commercial colloquium

Abstract: This paper presents a pragmatic study of polylogue in a commercial colloquium. Polylogue reveals distinct features not captured by Goffman''s participation framework and Levinson''s concept of target of utterances. The author argues that the importance of all these features lies in polylogue''s unidirectional information-floating context, which provides a set of latent standards for both linguistic expression and interpretation. It is proposed that the floating of information is essential in governing the structure of polylogue and participants’ roles. In similar situations, an interlocutor is necessary to perform the role of agent in order to maintain a smooth transmission of information, which is achieved by applying his/her pragmatic knowledge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]