INTERACTIONAL FEATURES IN CONVERSATION ANALYSIS

ByLuis Carlos Lasso Montenegro

ADJANCENCY PAIRSIs the basic unit of interaction composed of two turns which

are produced by different speakers.

U1 – Related to – U2

Characteristics • Consist of two utterances. • Utterances are adjacent.• Different speakers produce each utterance.• Include different types of exchanges.

Ex: Question/Answer

A: I’ve got a meeting this afternoon, haven’t I?B: Yeah, that’s right. With Henry and Tom.

Reference: Thornbury, S. and Slade, D. (2006). Conversation: From description to pedagogy. Cambridge University Press

A: Now who can I make an iced coffee for? B: Oh I think you could make one for my fat stomach.

A: You don’t like fish?B: No, it’s not that I don’t like it, it’s the way it is done.

A: Jerry, hi, where’s our cake?B: It’s coming, it’s coming. (laugh)

A: Mmm, don’t speak with your mouth half full, pull the bloody thing out. B: I will do what I bloody well like.

A: Great haircut.B: Do you think? The hair color burnt my scalp.

A: Hand me the knife from the bench, will you?B: Here you go.

Preferred SequenceLess face-threatening

response

Accepting an InvitationGranting a Request

Responding a ComplimentAccepting an offer

SEQUENCEIt is an adjacency pair U1 – U2

and any expansions of that adjacency determined by a choice of responses.

Dispreferred Sequence Face-threatening response ConversationalCooperativeness

Rejecting an InvitationRefusing a RequestResponding a ComplimentExpressing an Apology

Reference: Thornbury, S. and Slade, D. (2006). Conversation: From description to pedagogy. Cambridge University Press

MOVES AND EXCHANGESA move is the basic semantic unit in interactive

talk and determines the way speakers negotiate the exchange of meaning.

Characteristics • Conversation Utterances. • Indicate turn-transfer.• Can be assigned a speech function. •Include Initiating, Expected & Discretionary moves.

Ex: Initiating Move

A: What do you think of Jake?Speech Function: Question

A: I think Jake is bigheaded.Speech Function: Declarative

Reference: Thornbury, S. and Slade, D. (2006). Conversation: From description to pedagogy. Cambridge University Press

Expected Responding Moves

• Finish the exchange.• Support the speaker’s

proposition. Answer– Acknowledge

Response (offer/command)

A: What do you think of Jake?B: I think he’s all right.

Discretionary Moves• Open up the exchange and further negotiation is needed.

Tracking & ResponseChallenge & Response

A: What do you think of Jake?B: Well, he was unfriendly.A: He’s just shy. That’s all

Initiating Moves(Primary Speech Functions)

Command – Statement – Offer – Question – Rhetorical A: What do you think of Jake?

TURNTAKING IN CONVERSATIONThe way speakers take turns in a conversation to make it keep sense and flow coherently. This involves the implicit

signals that are understood by participants.

Turn-Constructional Unit(TCU)

The clear and systematic semantic units that

constitute a complete turn of a talk.

One speaker at a time.Speaker change recurs.

Examples:

A: Do you want to have a drink? B: That sounds great!

A: Do you want a drink? We could go somewhere after work.

Reference: Thornbury, S. and Slade, D. (2006). Conversation: From description to pedagogy. Cambridge University Press

Thanks for your attention!