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In:It’s not all about you: New perspectives on address research
Edited by Bettina Kluge and María Irene Moyna
[Topics in Address Research 1] 2019
► pp. 375–396

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Introductions at international academic conferences

Address and naming in three national varieties of English

Published online: 28 November 2019
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/tar.1.15nor
Abstract
This chapter investigates preferred introduction routines in first encounters in the context of international academic conferences where English is used as the conference language. We focus on reported use of first and last names as well as titles in introductions in American, Australian and British English based on a large-scale survey of reported introduction in three scenarios: introduction of self, of others and expected introduction of self by others. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data the results demonstrate that while use of first and last name is the unmarked choice, there is also significant variation among speakers of different national varieties, different scenarios and age groups. The results also show the importance of situational factors, seniority and hierarchy for introductions.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
  • 3.Theoretical and methodological approach
  • 4.Methodology
  • 5.Quantitative results
    • 5.1Results by country of origin
      • Introduction of self
      • Introduction of others
      • Expected introduction by others
      • Cross tabulation
    • 5.2Results by age group
      • Introduction of self
      • Introduction of others
      • Expected introduction by others
      • Cross tabulation
  • 6.Qualitative analysis
    • 6.1Introductions as a complex task
    • 6.2Reactions to use of FN
    • 6.3Reactions to use of academic titles
    • 6.4Seniority and hierarchy
    • 6.5Gender
    • 6.6Intercultural comments
    • 6.7Situational aspects
  • 7.Summary and discussion
  • Notes
  • References
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Ozyumenko, Vladimir
2023. Forms of address in courtroom discourse in Englishes of the “Inner Circle”. In It’s different with you [Topics in Address Research, 5], ► pp. 316 ff. DOI logo
Schüpbach, Doris, John Hajek, Heinz L. Kretzenbacher & Catrin Norrby
2021. Approaches to the study of address in pluricentric languages: methodological reflections . Sociolinguistica 35:1 ► pp. 165 ff. DOI logo
Schüpbach, Doris, John Hajek, Heinz L. Kretzenbacher & Catrin Norrby
2023. Nominal address and introductions in three national varieties of German. In It’s different with you [Topics in Address Research, 5], ► pp. 245 ff. DOI logo
Norrby, Catrin, Jan Lindström, Jenny Nilsson & Camilla Wide
2020. Pluricentric languages. In Handbook of Pragmatics [Handbook of Pragmatics, ], ► pp. 201 ff. DOI logo

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