1. CONVERSATIONAL ANALYSIS
Eros Meliana Sofa
Eva Istiyani
Wisdiyan Hadi
Turasno

2. Topical organization of conversation
Background
Conversation is a way of using language socially, of ‘ doing things with words’ together wth oter persons.
language
Topical organization of conversation
Content
Content
What is it about
Topic discussed
How they construct

3. The structure of conversations
Openings
Initiating exchanges that establish social relations
Middle
Topic negotiation and development
Turn taking mechanics
Feedback
Closings
Pre-closing exchanges

4. Let’s see the conversation text…
The text helps us experience in practice how conversation analysts work.
Read the conversation and then let’s analyze the following questions…
What appears to be the purpose of the conversation?
What topics are discussed?
How are topics introduced?

5. What appears to be the purpose of the conversation?
Informal chat between two young men (they are catching up on each other’s news)
The purpose of the conversation is primarily INTERACTIONAL
(Brown and Yule 1983)
to obtain good or services, to organize some sort of action, to pass on real information
Transactional
used when people relate to each other
Interactional

6. What topics are discussed?
A range of topics:
dogs, snow, little Mr. Hudd, going to the States, Andrew’s mum, how long Andrew is going to stay.
Each of the speakers speaks 8 times = 16 utterances and 6 topics!
The topics change very quickly and in fact one topic is often dealt with in the space of 2 utterances.

7. How are topics introduced?
The topics are introduced in 2 ways:
statements
We’re off to the States on holiday as well
questions
You had a visitor the other night, little Mr Hudd?
the form of the utterance looks like a statement but, the rising intonation at the end of the utterance implies to the listener that this is a question that needs answering.
David introduces more topics. On line 6, D.’s question functions as a device to check A’s interaction rather than a genuine enquiry. When A. replies “yeah, yeah I was” and seems to be ready to add more information, he’ interrupted by D. who wants to display what he already knows rather than to listen to what he might not know.

8. Building the conversation
The two men, however, build the conversation together.
A. answers every question set by D.
He allows D. to interrupt him
After an interruption, he makes no attempt to return to his original topic
He continues with D.
D. appreciates the remark A. makes about the drive from Warrington wit his remark ‘bloody hell (.) he must have been moving’
He ads ‘yeah’ twice to encourage A. in what he’s saying.

9. Definition of Conversation Analysis
Sacks, Schegloff and Jefferson (1974)
C.A. derives from sociology and ethnomethodology.
It argues that conversation has its own dynamic structure and rules.
Conversation is organized in sequences.
CA. studies the organization of conversation.
CA. Capture the structuring that people practise when carrying on a conversation.
Conversational structure is methods used by speakers to structure conversation efficiently or management of conversational turn.

10. Main Points of Conversational structure
To keep the flow of conversation going
To avoid ‘conversational accidents’ and ‘conversational traffic jam’
Describes how the interactants negotiate the exchange of meanings in dialogue
Main Points of Conversational structure
Some fields
of interest of CA:
The way people take turns
What turn-types there are

11. Conversational Structure
Turn
Sequence
A turn is a time during which a single participant speaks, within a typical, orderly arrangement in which participants speak with minimal overlap and gap between them.
A sequence is a unit of conversation that consists of two or more and adjacent functionally related turns.

12. Overlap in conversation
Situation: Student and his girlfriend's father during their first meeting
Mr. Strait : What's your major, Dave?
Dave : English - well I haven't really decided yet.
(3 seconds silence)
Mr. Strait : So - you want to be a teacher?
Dave : No - not really - well not if I can help it.
(2 seconds silence)
Mr. Strait : Wha-//Where do you-- //go ahead
Dave : I mean it's a--oh sorry //I em-
Yule (1996: 73)

13. overlap : both speakers speaking at the same time.
Overlap usually occurs as both speakers attempt to initiate talk.
It seldom occurs - ”parties should talk one at a time”.
Usually one drops out.
Sometimes competition occurs.
The speaker who upgrades most wins.

14. Turn Taking linguistic clues intonational phrase boundaries
dialog is made up of turns
speakers alternate: speaker A says something, then speaker B, then speaker A...
turn taking: who should talk and when
identifying turn:
linguistic clues
intonational phrase boundaries
slowing speaking rate
drop in pitch or loudness
Gestures
pauses

15. Turn-taking rules At each transition-relevance place of each turn:
How do speakers know when its time to contribute a turn?
turn transitions occur at Transition Relevance Points (TRP)
at TRP turn taking rules apply
Turn-taking rules
(Sacks, Schegloff, Jefferson, 1978)
At each transition-relevance place of each turn:
current speaker selects next speaker
If during this turn the current speaker has selected B as the next speaker then B must speak next.
next speaker self-selects
If the current speaker does not select the next speaker, any other speaker may take the next turn.
current speaker continues
If no one else takes the next turn, the current speaker may take the next turn.

16. It provides support for the speaker in the form of short utterances.
The non-floor holders in conversational situation are not only silent. Their contribution to the conversation is an important element of the “traffic management”.
Back-channeling – vocalizations by the listener relinquishing the floor to the current speaker
It provides support for the speaker in the form of short utterances.
‘uh-huh’
‘yeah’
‘I see’
Etc.

17. Types of sequences Adjacency pairs are a type of sequence, along with:
Pre-sequences
Insertion sequences

18. Adjacency pairs
An adjacency pair is a unit of conversation that contains an exchange of one turn each by two speakers. The turns are functionally related to each other in such a fashion that the first turn requires a certain type or range of types of second turn.
E.g.:
A greeting–greeting pair
A question–answer pair

19. Functions of adjacency pairs
Adjacency pairs are used for starting and closing a conversation
Adjacency pairs are used for moves in conversations
First utterance in adjacency pair has the function of selecting next speaker
Adjacency pairs are used for remedial exchanges
Components in adjacency pairs can be used to build longer sequences

20. Types of adjacency pairs
Question – answer
Greeting – greeting
Offer – acceptance
Request – acceptance
Complaint – excuse
Adjacencey Pairs are organized in first and second part and have“preferences”:
Preferred response = granting
Dispreferred response = refusal

22. One speaker’s utterance makes a particular kind of response likely.
Adjacency Pairs are pairs of utterances that usually occur together.
As an accepted part of conversational structure, adjacency pairs have strong in-built expectations (Questions are generally answered, statements are acknowledged, etc.)
The most often used Adjacency Pairs of the conversation analysed is question-answer.
In our culture, a question is generally followed by an answer and is therefore a convenient way to introduce a new topic and to ensure a response.

23. The level of response varies according to the type of question used.
Question and answers
The level of response varies according to the type of question used.
Questions can be divided into closed and open questions.
‘Wh-’ questions and ‘how’ questions are generally opened, as they leave a fairly open agenda for the speaker who answers.
Closed questions are also called yes-no questions.

24. Let’s Practice Where do you live? Are you OK? What are you doing? OPEN
CLOSE
OPEN

25. The “openness” of a question varies with the context.
Types of questions
The “openness” of a question varies with the context.
DAVID: how's your dogs (.) alright?
ANDREW: yeah (.) they're in the kennels
David asks two questions in one turn, an open one and a closed one. While the first question seems an open, interested and genuine enquiry, the second is closed and signals that this is just a comment in passing. D. has probaby already assumed that the dogs are fine and is seeking for confirmation and nothing more.
Some questions, therefore, are not meant to get a real lenghty answer, but just to structure the conversation.
How much a question throws open a topic depends on the nature of the question and on the context.

26. Pre-sequences A: (telephone ring at B’s location) summons
pre-sequence is a sequence which includes a turn recognizable as potential initiation of another specific type of turn, e.g.:
summon is a turn preceding an explanation
A: Mummy. (summon)
B: Yes dear answer
A: I need a hat. (explanation for summon)
A: (telephone ring at B’s location) summons
B: Hello answer
A: Hi greeting
B: Oh hi! greeting 2

27. common types of pre-sequences:
pre-selfidentification (e.g., Hi! )
pre-invitation (e.g., Are you free tonight?)
pre-announcement (e.g., You won’t believe this.)
pre-arrangement (e.g., Would you like to
make an appointment later on?)
pre-request (e.g., Do you have coffee to go?)
pre-closing (e.g., Okay)

28. Insertion Sequence
An insertion sequence is a sequence of turns that intervenes between the first and second parts of an adjacency pair.
The topic of the insertion sequence is related to that of the main sequence in which it occurs and the question from the main sequence is returned to and answered after the insertion.
A: Shall I wear the blue shoes?
B: You’ve got the black ones
A: They’re not comfortable
B: Yeah, they’re the best
then, wear the blue ones.
Agent: Do you want the
early flight?
Client: What time does it
arrive?
Agent: Nine forty-five
Client: Yeah - that's great

29. Insertion Sequences as a kind of Delay
A delay is an item used to put off a dispreferred second part.
A dispreferred second part is a second part of an adjacency pair that consists of a response to the first part that is generally to be avoided or not expected.
A refusal in response to a request, offer, or invitation
A disagreement in response to an assessment
An unexpected answer in response to a question
An admission in response to blame

30. References
Capelli gloria Conversation structure. Retrieved March 26, 2013 from
Leech, G.N Principles of Pragmatics. Essex: Longman
Levinson, S.C Pragmatics. Cambridge: CUP
Mey, Jacob L Pragmatics; An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Wolska, Magdalena pragmatics and discourse; conversation structure. Retrieved March 26, 2013 from
conversation analysis. Retrieved March 26, 2013 from www9.english.cityu.edu.hk/ebs/.../Conversation_Analysis .ppt
_____2013. Introduction to Pragmatics. Retrieved March 26, 2013 from