Leelo Keevallik

Professor

Presentation

Leelo Keevallik works in the field of interactional linguistics with an emphasis on the sequentiality of social action and the temporal nature of grammar. She has published on the development and use of pragmatic particles, features of grammar, such as projection, clause combining, clitics and reduplication, as well as prosody in interaction.  She has re-interpreted the function of pro-forms and deixis in real time and embodied contexts, and is now looking into units that are accomplished by grammar together with the body.

Her topics of interest include

• Embodied interaction in the material world

• Directives and compliance

• Pragmatic particles and processes of particularization

• Evidential and epistemic means in sequences of actions

• Interactional prosody

• Deixis in face-to-face interaction

• Construction of identity and language change in immigrant communities