An overview of the linguistics of screenwriting and its interdisciplinary connections, with special focus on dialogue in episodic television

Abstract

Abstract This article provides an overview of linguistic research into dialogue in episodic television and the linguistics of screenwriting. It classifies relevant research into five categories: (1) genre; (2) audio-visual translation and language learning; (3) the relationship between television and society; (4) how characters and worlds are built; and (5) the nature of TV dialogue and its relationship to the audience. The main focus is on discussing research that falls into categories three to five and on outlining the potential for useful connections between linguistics and other disciplines in these areas. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of linguistic research on TV dialogue, and to encourage interdisciplinary perspectives and collaborative research projects on television writing, in screenwriting research and beyond.