Discourse approaches to the study of dialogue and culture(s)

As an Introduction to the present issue, this article explores the workings of discourse and dialogue in communicating unity and diversity through language in vast social and cultural contexts. In what follows, discourse analysis is presented as a dialogue-oriented field that arose at the crossroads of linguistics and social sciences to overcome the limitations of traditional, autonomous linguistics. The dialogic profile of discourse analysis is demonstrated along three exploratory vectors that recognise dialogism as an inseparable criterion in the study of discourse. Accordingly, it will be shown that dialogicity is what lies at the core of discourse organization, discourse practice and discourse worlds. The discussion of the dialogic provenance and orientation of discourse (analysis) is closed by the volume presentation.