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Conversation Analysis

1) Conversation analysis involves analyzing the structure of spoken conversations through identifying moves such as initiations, responses, and follow ups within exchanges. 2) A basic conversation model consists of three moves - a question, answer, and comment. More complex models map out full conversations using flow charts to show speaker interactions. 3) Analyzing sample conversations can help learners become aware of conversation patterns by identifying and sequencing the moves in dialogues. This involves rearranging jumbled conversation snippets into their logical order.

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Eduardo Lesky
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105 views4 pages

Conversation Analysis

1) Conversation analysis involves analyzing the structure of spoken conversations through identifying moves such as initiations, responses, and follow ups within exchanges. 2) A basic conversation model consists of three moves - a question, answer, and comment. More complex models map out full conversations using flow charts to show speaker interactions. 3) Analyzing sample conversations can help learners become aware of conversation patterns by identifying and sequencing the moves in dialogues. This involves rearranging jumbled conversation snippets into their logical order.

Uploaded by

Eduardo Lesky
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SPOKEN DISCOURSE

Conversation Analysis

Broadly defined, discourse relates to any piece (complete or otherwise) of writing or any piece of
speaking. Discourse analysis typically looks beyond the grammatical, phonological and lexical elements of
a text and explores those elements ‘beyond the sentence’ that help text function. Many teachers will find
that they have directly or indirectly focussed on features of discourse without knowing that this is what
they were doing, often in the context of doing other things (e.g. a reading activity focussed on identifying
pronoun use, looking at conjunctions/linkers, looking at structuring a piece of writing or a presentation
etc). So while explicit focus on discourse as discourse may be new to many teachers, many of the
activities themselves won’t necessarily be. Conversation analysis involves bringing together turn-taking
and move structure as per the examples here:

Conversation Analysis 1

Look at the first activity taken from McCarthy (1991: 14-17) which analyses a basic and very common
model of spoken transaction:

Example Model

A: What time is it? 1) Ask


B: Six thirty. 2) Answer
A: Thanks
3) Comment

Each of the three parts is called a move and together these are known as exchanges and multiple
exchanges happen within a conversation. This basic model has also been described as:

1) Opening move 1) Initiation


2) Answering move 2) Response
3) Follow up move 3) Follow up

(Sinclair and Coulthard) (Sinclair and Brazil)

In terms of what we can do with learners in terms of helping them become aware of these patterns, look at
the following (jumbled up) example of a spoken transaction and sequence the moves according to their
logical occurance:

 Hi there, how can I help you?


 Yeah, hi. I’m looking for something on Greece.
 Sure, we can help you with that.
 What kind of trip were you looking for?
 Beach!...Definitely! So the islands I guess.
 Okay, we got plenty of options…
 How about a resort? Club Med maybe?
 I’m kinda looking for something a bit romantic though; it’s our anniversary.
 Oh really?! Congratulations!
 Is it gonna be a surprise?
 Yeah.
 She’s gonna love it!
Conversation Analysis 2

We can also look at more complex models of interaction. Look at the following example from Nolasco and
Arthur (1987:32) as cited in Cook (2001:122) which looks at the use of flow charts to assist conversation
development:

SPEAKER A SPEAKER B

Greet B

Acknowledge A’s greeting. State how


busy you are.

Mention Peter West’s retirement.

Confirm and state when.

Ask a general question as to who


might replace Peter West.

Make a non-commital answer.

Speculate on type of person


needed.

Indicate a non-commital agreement.

Ask B’s opinion about John


Stevens doing the job.

Acknowledge the possibility, but


suggest another person.

Counter the suggestion of B by


indicating that the other person
has gone abroad.

Express surprise and terminate


conversation.
Thornbury, S., Beyond the Sentence, Macmillan, 2005
McCarthy, M., Discourse Analysis for Teachers, Cambridge University Press, 1991
Cook, G., Discourse, Oxford University Press, 1989

 Yeah.

 Oh really?! Congratulations!

 Is it gonna be a surprise?

 Beach!...Definitely! So the islands I guess.

 Hi there, how can I help you?

 Okay, we got plenty of options…

 What kind of trip were you looking for?

 Sure, we can help you with that.

 I’m kinda looking for something a bit romantic though; it’s our anniversary.

 Yeah, hi. I’m looking for something on Greece.


 She’s gonna love it!

 How about a resort? Club Med maybe?

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