5 Case Study 1 - Leicester Research Archive - University of Leicester

ACTIVE LANGUAGE ROLE REFLECTIVE
A game of sports commentary sports reporting a history of
sport sport
Figure 39 Continuum of language roles 346
Ravelli argues that putting these two dimensions together enables us to make
sense of different modes of language, independent of their medium. 347 In the
context of the case study, looking at these two dimensions shows that: The press
release lists a number of facts about the subjects and objects of the exhibition.
Not only is much more information “squeezed in” the relatively short paragraph,
more importantly is how differently the information is articulated. Whereas the
press release lists the pieces of information one after the other, the podcast, the
spoken mode, delivers the content in the shape of questions, thus, simulates a
conversation. Neither the press release nor the podcast can actually receive
immediate feedback from the reader/listener. However, the way RF phrases
questions simulate a conversational tone that invites more feedback in
comparison to the press release.
The podcast is also more active compared to the press release. The way RF talks,
invites the listener to view the work and to engage with it. On the enhanced video
podcast, the listener can in fact see images of the work, so language is
accompanying the social process and theoretically the listener could continue
his/her engagement with the work without the commentary. Even more so if the
listener is actually in the gallery in front of the work. The press release on the
other hand, provides such detailed descriptions of the work that the journalist
(the imaginary audience) could theoretically write something about the show
without having seen it.
346 Ibid., p.52.
347 Ibid.
225