Positionierungen in argumentativen Gesprächen und Briefen der Schule

Abstract The current research in the field of argumentation in school contexts predominantly focuses on the development of oral and written argumentation skills and interventions to improve students’ argumentative skills, while comparative studies of argumentative practices in different modes, particularly the linguistic features of oral versus written argumentative practices, are still rare. To close this gap, our study investigates argumentative oral and written practices of students in secondary school to answer the question whether the mode has an influence on the use of specific procedures and linguistic features. We examined how students express their stance on a controversial issue linguistically (Positionierung) by analyzing a small corpus of argumentative discussions and letters by 12th grade students. The results of the study show that while students use similar procedures and linguistic features in both modes, they are more varied and multifaceted in discussions, i. e. oral communication, than in letters, i. e. written communication.