Conversation Analysis

1517 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The flight from conversation analysis

How to do things with words? People use words to talk to each other’s to find something out or to persuade somebody to do something or to build relationship. To talk in any language, you have to know the words sounds for that particular language & to read/write any text for the same language, you have to know the visual or other symbols. People prefer to use talk in their communication rather than reading/writing because they believe it is produced rapid interaction. I am going to discuss about some characteristic for everyday talk for English language, the structure & the function of the talk, some theories of sociologist & philosophers in the field of conversation analysis and give some examples.
In the beginning, to study how people use …show more content…

Social interactions through talk involve the constant management of one’s own and other people’s face a term used by the sociologist Erving Goffman for people’s public self- image. Loss of face for any speaker is disruptive & may need to be repaired. For example, by the rephrasing of a comment or by an explicit apology. Others refer to effort to maintain one’s own or other’s face is known as face work, which may involve strategic talk to boost or maintain status: an aspect of the interpersonal function of language use. Therefore, we may speak of speech acts as face threating, possibly causing someone to lose face or face saving, enabling a speaker to escape from potential loss of face. Politeness involves using strategies such as terms of address and degree of directness & formality. These vary according to people’s relative status, the degree of social distance between them & the extent of their solidarity with one another. In some languages the relationship between speakers is encoded grammatically, but in English there used to be a distinction between formal & informal. Terms of address in English indicates relation to the speaker, profession, nicknames & gender. The sociolinguistic rules tell us who has to right to use which term & to whom depend on difference in status between speakers, how well they know each other, then the formality of the situation & the cultural & linguistic

Show More
Related

  • Words Don T Mean What They Mean Summary

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    Steven Pinker distinguishes the difference between talking to man and women. Pinker showed a lady that was comfortable talking to another lady and the lady became angry when her talking to a man, not women (Pinker 2007 .p112, 113). People used intricacies method to achieve their needs and emotion instead of saying what they need to say directly. (Pinker 2007 .p113) Furthermore, even in a sexual situation, people twist and turn around and turn around their words. For example, “would you like to come up and see my etching?” (Pinker 2007.p113) Moreover, people use a kind word to order something from someone else without making a demand to the receiver or using indirect speeches to avoid a problem that may happen by mistake. (Pinker, 2007

    Read More

  • Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

    1267 Words  | 3 Pages

    The thesis, or the main idea of the book, is that by using specific communication techniques, we can turn difficult discussions into productive learning conversations.

    Read More

  • Interaction Ritual by Erving Goffman

    1354 Words  | 3 Pages

    They are often referred to as modern classics. The essay on face-work can be considered as an expansion of Goffman’s previous works on interaction and is included in this series. Summary Goffman refers to his essay on face-work as ‘An Analysis of Ritual Elements in Social Interaction’ (Goffman, p.5). He essentially sets out to prove to the reader that social interaction is a ritual game that we act out and play by the rules. The author provides us with some new vocabulary, including terms and phrases which identify forms of social interaction....

    Read More

  • Crucial Conversation Analysis

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    What do we do when we face conflict? we either run away from it, or turn to violence. Conflict usually starts as a crucial conversation that was communicated poorly. Sure, we can blame our genetic makeup for our emotions as we are hardwired to come into conflict with one another. Wynne Perry of Live Science interviewed anthropology researcher, Christopher Boehm of the University of Southern California who shed light on the issue” The genes are still making us do the same old things, which include quite a bit of conflict.” However, Boehm has some good news” Culture has given us solutions at various levels”. So, what is a crucial conversation? And, how can we handle it?

    Read More

  • Chic-Fil-A Conversation Analysis

    338 Words  | 1 Pages

    Wherever you go, there are key phrases and sentences used during a conversation that will inform you of the connection between the members. Whether that is your church, the classroom, family dinners, or even your work, all possess their focal point of conversation. This is no different for my work, at Chic-Fil-A. In listening to the discussion between the employs, you will quickly discover the truth behind the meaning of “one big family.”

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Gossip About Jenny Ash

    1866 Words  | 4 Pages

    Conversation Analysis (CA) is the study of talk-within-interaction that attempts to describe the orderliness, structure and sequential patterns of interaction in conversation. It is a method of qualitative analysis developed by Harvey Sacks with the aid of Emmanuel Schegloff and Gail Jefferson in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Using the CA frame of mind to view stories shows us that what we may think to be simplistic relaying of information or entertaining our friends is in fact a highly organised social phenomena that is finely tuned in a way that expresses the teller’s motivation behind the talk. (Hutchby & Wooffitt, 2011). It is suggested that CA relies on three main assumptions; talk is a form of social action, action is structurally organised, talk creates and maintains inter-subjectivity (Atkinson & Heritage, 1984).

    Read More

  • Olfactics: The Underrated Sense in Communication

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    The world, as of the 21st century, is increasingly becoming an interconnected, interrelated social place in which avoidance of human interaction is near impossible. From telephone calls to advertising billboards, communication is ubiquitous. Communication essentially refers to the generation and receiving of messages across a variety of contexts, channels, media, and cultures. This complex interaction is composed of both verbal and non-verbal interactions. Verbal language is defined as the use of sounds and language to communicate a message and thus accents, dialects, and languages all fall under this “verbal code.” Its counterpart, non-verbal language, is communication through a host of nonlinguistic methods, including physical appearance, kinesics, and olfactics.

    Read More

  • Communication Accomodation Theory

    1956 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Communication Accommodation Theory states when people interact they alter their speech to fit in or accommodate for others. CAT describes the psychological, social, and linguistic behaviors that people exhibit when communicating with each other (Coupland, Coupland, Giles, Henwood, 1988). Each individual has his or her own personality and motivation when involved in a conversation, this attribute is reflected in how the individual speaks, listens and then responds to the other person involved in the conversation. According to this theory, communication between two people can at any time be adjusted by either party in response to actual, perceived, or stereotyped expectations of the other person (Coupland, et al., 1988). This means that either party can change their communication style based on what they feel or pick up on during the conversation.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: Non Verbal Communication

    1578 Words  | 4 Pages

    In life people communicate every day through many types of responses and behaviors. There are plenty examples that have been expressed over time by people trying to explain these communicative behavior and analyze them in different ways.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Communication Accommodation Theory

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    The opportunity for universal application of the Communication Accommodation Theory gives the field of Communication Studies a method of objectively analyzing conversational strategies and motivations both of which are considered to be overwhelmingly subjective. The ways in which communicators of different cultures perceive one and other [as individuals or members of a group] varies greatly even in a two-person interaction. The number of cultural identifications one certain individual might possess may be numerous, and already makes structured analysis of their communication choices in an interaction difficult. By guiding the process of conducting research with CAT, researchers are able to analyze the communication behaviors of any set of cultural communicat...

    Read More

  • The Importance of Being a Competent Communicator

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everything we do in our life involves communication because it is a way for a sender to send message to the receiver by verbal and non-verbal communication. However, in some parts of the world messages that are delivered sometimes are not received in a way it is supposed to. A way to solve this is by using competent communicator and intercultural communication because it makes it easier for people from other cultures to communicate in general. On the other hand, there are also some problems faced because different cultures have different ways to express their way of communication. By understanding these types of communication and by defining them may solve this dilemma. In addition to that, there are also types of communication to consider that are commonly used, which is Proxemics, Gestures and body language.

    Read More

  • Language in Our Lives

    1351 Words  | 3 Pages

    Have you ever wondered who taught you to talk the way you do? People learn to talk and express themselves everyday of their lives. Starting from the day you were born you used language or some form of it to communicate with those around you. As a baby you usually show your displeasure with your new surroundings by crying, and if you don’t the doctor will make sure you do. Everyday we express our point of view to others in some form of language. Whether it is through verbal communication, written discourse or through body language, you can tell if a person is upset, angry, or happy. We as human beings don’t realize how much language has to do with our lives. How can you determine if one of your friends is angry with you? Is there a different tone to their voice? Do they have a stern look on their face? Of course they do, your friend feels the need to express their anger to you by these different forms of language. Where do we learn to use these different forms of language? How are our uses of these languages shaped? The three main contributing factors to how we express ourselves through language come from our schooling, our friends, and most of all from our families.

    Read More

  • Life Skills Persuasive Speech

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    Words are powerful tools of communication and interpersonal skills. Having the ability to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills. This life skill is most important because it is very essential for building relationships, whether it personal or impersonal; be it verbal or non verbal. It’s a way in which to express ones feelings, thoughts, and

    Read More

  • Importance Of Semantics And Pragmatics

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    Language is a means of human communication whether verbally or nonverbally. In everyday life we use language to express our thoughts, feelings ,attitudes,etc.A great amount of social interactions takes place every day over the telephone ,by online chats, face –to face interaction or at workplaces .We use language of different forms for different functions as in to inform, question , and sometimes to strengthen social relationships or just to keep the social wheels turning smoothly. Moreover, understanding one's own language and even other cultures’ language is important to arrive at a successful and effective communication with others . The study of language can be undertaken in various ways .Semantics and pragmatics are two branches of linguistics which are concerned with the study of meaning.

    Read More

  • Why Should We Study Oral Communication?

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Speaking is a natural ability given to most reluctant individuals. Since the beginning of time, it has been assumed that we have a right to speak and use words, thus we naturally begin our development of language during the early stages of live. After years of grasping and perfecting our vocabulary and language, it seems unnecessary to study the purpose of our development. Why, then, should we study “oral communication?” There are many purposes, benefits, and institutions that branch from oral communication. Of course, communication is the basis of interaction with other individuals through the use of expressions and words; however, through studying oral communication, one can take the words and expressions being used and apply them to his or her own life. After all, the most effective and useful knowledge is applied knowledge.

    Read More

More about Conversation Analysis

Open Document