International Journal of Language & Linguistics

Variation in Language: How to Characterise Types of Texts and Communication Strategies between Orality and Scripturality. Answers given by Koch/Oesterreicher and by Biber
Wolfgang Raible

Abstract
Over the past few decades, spoken and written texts, as well as their mutual relationship, has come more and more into the focus of linguistic research. Among the different approaches, the present author would like to compare above all two: a largely theory-driven approach, and another that is more data-driven. The theory-driven approach may be characterised by the names of the late Peter Koch (1951–2014) and Wulf Oesterreicher (1942–2015), the data-based one by Douglas Biber (b. 1952). The research objects of Biber are mostly English texts, whereas Koch and Oesterreicher were anchored in the world of Romance languages. It might be interesting that there were practically no relationships between Koch-Oesterreicher and Biber. Koch took note of Biber only in a late publication, and in a superficial and rather unsatisfactory way1. This is all the more regrettable since, as will be shown, both approaches led and lead to comparable results, and that they are both based on a comparable theoretical background.

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