The Study of Language and Conversation with Recurrence Analysis Methods

In the last decade we witness an increase in approaching issues in language, and more generally, cognition, from a dynamical standpoint. This theoretical shift necessitates new research methods and statistical / analytical tools. Some of these tools gain popularity and are being applied to language in many of its multifaceted perspectives. Recurrence analysis is one of those methods. Its relative simplicity of application and quite unconstrained statistical assumptions give researchers an insight into the dynamical nature of the phenomena under scrutiny. The aim of this paper is an introduction to this method, a review of its convincing applications in the language research on several levels of language analysis and finally, a reflection on its possible further uses.