Redewiedergabe in <i>retellings</i> : Emergenz und Modell

Abstract This article examines reported speech in retellings and explores the relationship between local emergence and sedimented model. Our multimodal investigation shows that the sequences of reported speech remain relatively constant and that they are gradually intensified and elaborated on different levels. This finding is relevant (1) with regard to partner orientation or dialogicity in the conversation: it is not a priori ‘present’ in the interaction but must be understood and analysed in its respective, gradual manifestation. It can be assumed (2) that the orientation towards a sedimented model comes at the expense of the room for manoeuvre that such narratives potentially offer. For the narration of autobiographical stories, the question arises (3) as to what extent the modelling can lose its interpretative openness. The data are drawn from three audio-visual corpora of autobiographical interviews with bilingual speakers who are familiar with both French and German cultures.