An Introduction to Conversation Analysis

Description

Conversation is one of the most widespread uses of human language, but what is actually happening when we interact this way? How is conversation structured? How does it function? Answering these questions and more, An Introduction to Conversation Analysis is an essential overview of this topic for students in a wide range of disciplines including sociolinguistics, discourse analysis and sociology. This is the only book you need to learn how to do conversation analysis. Beginning by positioning conversation analysis amongst other methodologies, this book explains the advantages before guiding you step-by-step through how to do conversation analysis and what it reveals about the ways language works in communication. Chapters introduce every aspect of conversation analysis logically and clearly, covering topics such as transcription, turn-taking, sequence organisation, repair, and storytelling. Now fully revised and expanded to take account of recent developments, this third edition includes: - 3 new chapters, covering action formation and epistemics, multimodality and spoken interaction, and written conversation - New topics including online and mobile technology, cross-cultural conversation, medical discourse, and gender - A glossary of key terms, brand new exercises and updated lists of further reading - A fully updated companion website, featuring tutorials, audio and video files, and a range of different exercises covering turn taking, organisation and repair Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents Chapter 1: Conversation and Conversation Analysis Focus Introduction The development of Conversation Analysis Conversation Analysis as an approach to studying interaction Conversation Analysis and some other ways of studying language in use Speech Act pragmatics Discourse Analysis Interactional Sociolinguistics Discursive Psychology Critical Discourse Analysis About this book Further reading Chapter 2: Collecting conversational data Focus Introduction Naturalistic data Documenting conversations Technical issues in recording Using technologically mediated data Ethics in data collecting Exercises Further reading Chapter 3: Transcribing conversation Focus Introduction Indicating information external to the talk Transcribing words Transcribing prosody Transcribing other vocal sounds Transcribing contiguous or simultaneous talk Transcribing pauses Dealing with problems of hearing or comprehension Transcribing non-verbal elements of interaction Adding transcriber’s information Making a transcription of interactional data Translation Transcribing conversation: Some final comments Exercise Further reading Chapter 4: Analysing conversational data Focus A specimen perspective The process of analysis Identifying phenomena: Unmotivated looking Developing an analysis Finding patterns and making comparisons Linking with theory Exercise Further Reading Chapter 5: Turn-taking in conversation Focus Introduction Some possible models of turn-taking The turn constructional component Turn constructional units Possible completion and turn construction Transition relevance places Extending turn constructional units Turn allocation Current speaker can select the next speaker Next speaker self-selects Rules linking turn construction and turn allocation Features of turn-taking in conversation Speaker change recurs, or at least occurs One person talks at a time and occurrences of more than one speaker at a time are common but brief Transitions with no gap and no overlap are common Turn order varies and the relative distribution of turns is not specified in advance Turn size is not fixed, but varies Number of parties can vary Talk can be continuous or discontinuous Repairing turn-taking errors and violations Turns and TCUs Multi-TCU turns Multi-turn TCUs Conclusion Exercise Further reading Chapter 6: Gaps and overlaps in turn-taking Focus Introduction Increased transition space Reduced transition space Problematic overlap The nature of overlapping talk Resolving overlapping talk Resources for resolving overlap Places for deploying overlap resolution devices The interactional logic of overlap resolution Success in overlap management Conclusion Exercises Further reading On overlapping talk On pauses Chapter 7: Adjacency pairs and preference organization Focus Sequence organization Adjacency pairs Counters Types of second pair parts Preference organization Preference for agreement Preference for contiguity Preference organization and turn shape Invitations Assessments Dispreferred first pair parts Conclusion Exercise Further reading Chapter 8: Expanding sequences Focus Sequence expansion Pre-expansion A generic pre-sequence: summons-answer Type-specific pre-expansions Pre-invitations Pre-requests Pre-offers Pre-tellings Preliminaries to preliminaries Multiple pre-expansions Conclusion Insert expansion Post-first insert expansion Pre-second insert expansion Multiple insert expansions Conclusion Post-expansion Introduction Minimal post-expansion: Sequence closing thirds Oh Okay Assessments Composite SCTs Non-minimal post-expansion Post-second repair Rejecting SPPs FPP reworkings Post-completion musings Post-expansion and preference Topicalization Sequence-closing sequences Conclusion Exercise Further reading Chapter 9: Repair Focus Repair in conversation Types and positions of repair Same-turn repair Transition space repair Second position repair Third position repair Fourth position repair The multiple repair space The preference for self-repair Conclusion Exercise Further reading Chapter 10: Epistemics and action formation Focus Introduction Epistemics Epistemic status and epistemics stance Epistemics in interaction Action formation in talk Resources for action formation and recognition Turn formats Prosody Embodied actions Sequence formats Conclusion Exercises Further reading Chapter 11: Embodied actions and the multimodality of spoken interaction Focus Introduction Gaze Gesture Posture Manipulating objects in interaction Concluding comments Exercise Further reading Chapter 12: Online written interaction Focus Introduction Turn-taking Turn construction Turn allocation Sequence organization Repair Multimodality in online written interactions Conclusion Exercises Further reading Chapter 13: Opening conversation Focus Introduction The interactional accomplishment of telephone openings The summons-answer sequence Identification/recognition work Greetings ‘How are you?’ sequences Technological changes and the structure of telephone openings Telephone conversations as conversational openings Openings in face-to-face interaction Conclusion Exercises Further reading Chapter 14: Closing conversation Focus Introduction Terminal sequences Pre-closing sequences Closing implicative environments Announcing closure Arrangements Formulating summaries Appreciations Sequence-closing sequences Back references Moving out of closing Locations for moving out Typical sequences found in moving out Back references Topic initial elicitors In-conversation objects Solicitudes Reasons for call Appreciations Expanded closing sequences Conclusion Exercises Further reading Chapter 15: Storytelling in conversation Focus The interactional problem of extended turns Stories Beginning and ending stories Story structure Second stories Stories of shared experience Conclusion Exercise Further reading Chapter 16: Applying Conversation Analysis Focus Introduction Institutional talk Turn-taking in institutional settings Turn-type pre-allocation Turn allocation The structure of institutional interactions Medical interactions Conversation Analysis and second-language acquisition Conversation Analysis across languages and cultures Conclusion Exercises Further reading Institutional talk Medical interactions Conversation Analysis and second-language acquisition Conversation Analysis across languages and cultures Glossary Transcription conventions Speech sounds Other vocal sounds Contiguous or simultaneous talk Pauses Problems of hearing or comprehension Embodied actions (based on Goodwin and Mondada) Adding transcriber’s information References Index