ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the theme of discursive interaction by focusing on the interplay between different linguistic varieties in the production of text. Some writers seek to capture the linguistic intricacies of the colonial situation not through explicit contrast in dialogue but by weaving local speech patterns into the fabric of standard English in narrative. German-speaking Switzerland is a 'diglossic' society. Diglossic societies are those in which there is functional separation between two distinct varieties of the same language, such that the 'High' variety is used in formal contexts, whereas the 'Low' variety is used in informal settings. The nature of the sociolinguistic situation in Switzerland is such that the relationship between the concepts of variety, discourse and ideology shows up in a particularly clear way. The differentiation between High German and Swiss varieties has important implications for the question of ideology.
