Talk Features- A Guide To All You Need To Know For ELLB3!
What is an everyday conversation?
The term conversation refers to talk that involves more than one participant. The connotations of ‘everyday conversation’ may suggest an interaction that is spontaneous, private, equal, perhaps trivial and usually polite.
How do conversations work?
Turn-taking
Much has focused on this see transcripts and conclusions about e.g. length of turns; who says the most and who the least. Is this always to do with status and power? Or it may be an agreed role e.g. in an interview situation the candidate for the job would be expected to speak the most.
Exchanges
A sequence of turns is called an EXCHANGE and each turn within this is termed a MOVE
Some exchanges take place in two moves or ADJACENCY PAIR e.g.
(1) “Hello there!” (utterance)
“Hi” (expected response)
(2) “I’m sorry”
“That’s okay”
Another common exchange or adjacency pair is the question and answer.
Initiating turns
In a sequence it is valid to look at who initiates a turn. May be done as follows:
INTERROGATIVE: What did she say to you?
DECLARATIVE: I can’t stand people who agree with you all the time.
IMPERATIVE: Well, say something.
Allocating turns
It is also an interesting and valid exercise to look at the way turns are passed from one to another.
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