5.Structures of Speech - Conversation

8/6/2019 5.Structures of Speech - Conversation

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And another thing, what is with all these

chavs thinking they own the place? Theyrea nuisance, arent they? Just been

downtown and seriously, they are just

awful. Swearing and smoking, shoutingand sniggering, kind of like dog shit on

legs. They no, we, need to take a stand.Ban them from town. Ban them from the

Island. Banish them from existence. You,me, the rest of us, Saturday, midday, letshav it!


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Structures of speech:Conversation

Learning Objectives:1. Know the key terms for conversation

analysis2.Be able to identify these features in

texts


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Starter Activity

Conversational role plays

What rules can you think of that we tend

to follow when in conversation?


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Conversational Analysis (CA)

Provides a framework for looking at multi-speaker discourse. Largely based on the

concept of the conversational turn and thebasic consequence of that turn, theadjacency pair, which forms an exchange

structure.


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Turn-taking

A: How are you?

B: Fine thanks. You?

A: Good yeah. Have a good hol?

B: Yeah, didnt do much though.

Conversations based on the principle of turn

taking at which were very skilled at knowingthe rules only noticing them when people breakthem!


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Adjacency pairs

The basic exchange mechanism!

Often used to initiate conversations

Two utterances by different speakers thathave a natural and logical link

A: Whats the time?

B: 10 oclock


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IRF

Initiation response feedback

An extension of the pair

E.g. Teacher: Who wrote Macbeth?

Student: Shakespeare

Teacher: Thats right. Well done.


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Insertion Sequence

Conversations not always as simple and logical asprevious examples depending on context

E.g.

A: [to B] Hi, how are you?

A: [to C who is leaving] See you later

C: OK

B: Fine, thanks! You? A: Yeah pretty good


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A: [to B] Hi, how are you?

A: [to C who is leaving] See you later

C: OK

B: Fine, thanks! You?

A: Yeah pretty good

Initial exchange

Adjacencypair

Insertion sequence

Extends

exchange withfeedback


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Topic Management

The decision about what gets talked about

Some occasions (formal meetings, interviews)the topic will be strictly managed with definedstructures (agenda, Q&A)

Informal conversations can still be analysed fortopic management as they often have

DOMINANT PARTICIPANT


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Features of Topic Management

Topic shifts change to a new topic

Topic shifters phrases that lead to the changeof topic e.g. By the way

Topic loop return to a previous topic

Repair resolves or clears up misunderstandingsor mistakes

Feedback utterances that help maintain thetopic and help the speaker to feel that he islistening


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Identify the features of topic

management: A: So are you going out on Friday then? B: Yeah, probably cinema I think A: That reminds me did you ever get to

see Mamma Mia? B: Yeah I went a couple of weeks ago,

actually no it must be more like a monthago now. Times flying!

A: What you going to see tomorrowthen?


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Activity:

In pairs, consider how do conversationsopen? Consider:

- Formal situations- Informal situations

What verbal signals do we give that a

conversation is finishing formal andinformal situations again


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Role play task!

Choose one of the situations on the sheetor choose your own with permission from

me!

Documents

5.Structures of Speech - Conversation