Dscourse analyss

Dscourse analyssSpoken languageAdjacency pairsUtterance functionExpected responceGreetingGreetingCongratulationsThanksApologyAcceptancenformAcknowledgeLeave-takingLeave-takingThese are called adjecency pairs.

A: would you like to come over for a drink tomorrow?B: yes, that would be nice. (accept) yes, if it would be after six. (accept with a condition) No. (reject)Instead of No, we could say:-thanks very much. (appreciation)-Im afraid (softener)-Im booked up. (reason)-what about? (face-saver)Scarcella & Brunack (1981)Native and non-native speakers giving informal invitations

NativesNon-nativesI was wondering, uh, were having a partyI would like to invite you to a party..I want you to come in a partyprefacedToo informal or too bluntPrefacing disagreementLanguage teachers should design role-paly activities for such linguistic elements.Exchanges Exchanges are independently observable entities.Adjecency pairs may be found in them.In classTeacher: Now Maria, you ask Fumiko.Maria: What did you do at the weekend?Fumiko: I went to Wales.Teacher: Good, now Fumiko, you ask MarcoEtc.

Outside the classMaria: What did you do at the weekend?Fumiko: I went to Wales.Maria: Oh, really? Where did you go?Turn-takingIn natural English discourse turn-takings occur;SmoothlyWith only little overlap and interventionOnly brief silences between turns. Specific linguistc devices for getting the turnGetting the turn when one is unableIf I may, Mr. Chairman/ Can I just come in here/etc

Not taking the turn when one is able (back-channel)Mm/ha-ha/yeah/no/right/sure/etc

Predicting one anothers utterances

Natural conversational data can be chaotic because of these devices. (p. 127 for example)In the classTurn-taking activities are done under the control of the teacher

Students rarely speak out of turn

Include pair and group work to break this pattern

Pay attention to the natural occurances of back-channel, utterance completion, etc

Instead of teaching these features, specific linguistic realisations can be presented and practiced

TransactionsTransaction are used in:ClassroomDoctors surgeriesFormal interviewsOpening and closing a conversationBy drawing attention to how a teacher uses markers to devide up a lesson,

He can teach some transactions such as:RightNowOkaySoAnywayWell

Get learners to translate them into L1 Topics The most dominant definition of topic in language teaching materials isThe expression of topics as titles for the subject matter.

Topics can be reason for people to talk or they can arise because people are already talking. Beside consantrating on vocabulary of topics, interactive features of topics can be taught:Opening markers: by the way, incidentally, talking of XClosing markers: still, anyway, soSummarising a topic or reacting with evaluationSounds awful, quite strange, reallyInteractional and transactional talkTransactional talk:To get the business doneTo produce some change

Interactional talk:To lubricate the social wheelsTo establish roles prior to transactional talkTo conform and consolidate relationshipTo express solidarity

Stories, anecdotes, jokesLabovs model (1972) for elements found in normal narratives:

AbstractTopicOrientationTime, place, charactersComplicating eventsMain eventsResolutionHow events are sortedCodasThe bridge between the story and the moment of telling Evaluation:Making the story worth listening byTelling that you like the jokeExaggretionCreating noises

Its easy to tell stories in L1For L2, real data is helpful for practiceThe narrative elements and markers will not translate from one language to anotherSome openersIll always rebemmer the timeDid I ever tell you aboutI must tell you aboutI heard a good one the other day

Some markers to complicate eventsAnd then, suddenly, out of the blueNext thing we knewAnd as if that wast enough

Some codasMakes you wonder..So, there we areAnd that was it, really

Other spoken discourse typesInformation-gap activities such as giving directions are very helpful in generating talk. Psathas and Kozloff (1976) found a three-phase structure in such talks:

SituationEstablishing the starting point, the goal, the means of transportInformation & Instruction

Where the main point directions are given Ending phaseTo confirm that the route is understood. Speech and grammarSpoken data presents a different picture from the written data.

Spoken data contains forms that would be considered ungrammatical in written discourse.

These mistakes are unnoticed in natural talk. The problem is is that I dont know her numberSpeech abounds in verbless clauses, elipsesLack of concord and omitted relative particlesFalse starts, slips of tongue e.g. Theres a few probles are likely to crop up.

If you like we could theres food in the fridge why dont we could have something if youre hungry. Conclusion Periodical literature of discourse analysis abounds in detailed studies which are often not carried out with any overt pedagogical aim.

However they are useful for teachers and material writers.

Complete naturalness is probably impossible in the class, but engaging the student in authentic activities is important.

thanks