p8 Conversation

Hauptseminar Introduction to Pragmatics http://ifla.uni-stuttgart.de/~jilka/index.html

Conversation and preference structureBASIC CONCEPTS I

Conversation is clearly the prototypical kind of language usage, the form in which we are all first exposed to language

All major aspects of pragmatic organization are connected to usage in conversation

+ deixis: encoding of temporal, spatial, social, discourse parameters organized around the assumption of co-present conversational participants

+ presupposition: involving constraints on the way in which information has to be presented if it is to be introduced to particular participants with specific shared knowledge and assumptions about the world

+ implicatures: deriving from specific assumptions about conversational context+ speech acts: building on the assumption of a conversational matrix (e.g., betting

requires an uptake to be effective)


Conversation and preference structureBASIC CONCEPTS II

A: I have a 14-year-old sonB: Well, that’s alrightA: I also have a dogB: Oh, I’m sorry

This dialog seems bizarre in isolation, its meaning becoming clear only when embedded in a full conversation/situation (discussion with landlord about apartment rental)

no independent, general rules for the sequencing of conversation structure, but particular phenomena can be described

- the term 'interaction' could apply to a very large number of different social encounters- typical structure of conversation: I speak - you speak - I speak - you speak ...


Conversation and preference structureCONVERSATION ANALYSIS

Terminology in analogy with market economy

floor the right to speakturn having control of the right to speakturn-taking attempt to take control of the right to speaklocal management system set of conventions for getting, keeping and giving away turnstransition relevance place (TRP) possible change-of-turn point

speakers having a conversation = taking turns at holding the floor- speakers may cooperate and share the floor equally- speakers may compete for keeping the floor, preventing others from getting it

CAUTION: systems of conversationational interaction vary greatly between social/cultural groups


Conversation and preference structurePAUSES AND OVERLAPS I

Conversations typically consist of two or more participants taking turns, and only one participant speaking at any time. Smooth transitions from one speaker to the next are valued.

- transitions with a long silence between turnstransition with overlap (both speakers speaking at the same time) are perceived as awkward

Situation: Student and his girlfriend's father during their first meeting

Mr. Strait: What's your major, Dave?Dave: English - well I haven't really decided yet.

(3 seconds silence)Mr. Strait: So - you want to be a teacher?Dave: No - not really - well not if I can help it.

(2 seconds silence)Mr. Strait: Wha-//Where do you-- //go aheadDave: I mean it's a--oh sorry //I em-

- = short pauses, hesitations// = beginning of overlap (both speakers attempt to initiate talk)silences are not attributable to either speaker because each has completed a turn

no rhythm to transitions (no flow) conveys sense of distance, absence of familiarity/ease


Conversation and preference structurePAUSES AND OVERLAPS II

If one speaker explicitly turns over the floor to another and the other does not speak, then the silence is attributable to the second speaker and becomes significant

Jan: Dave, I'm going to the store.(2 seconds)

Jan: Dave?(2 seconds)

Jan: Dave - is something wrong?Dave: What? What's wrong?Jan: Nevermind.


Conversation and preference structurePAUSES AND OVERLAPS III

Other types of overlap (apart from initial type):- for many (younger) speakers overlapped talk appears to function like an expression of

solidarity or closeness in expressing similar opinionsDeb: Did you see him in the video?Wendy: Yeah - the part on the beachDeb: Oh my God // he was so sexyWendy // he was just being so coolDeb: And all the waves // crashing around him!Wendy: // yeah that was really wild.

- overlap can also communicate competitionJoe: When they were in // power las-- wait CAN I FINISH?Jerry: // that's my point I said --

speaker are competing for the floor

The point of overlap is treated as an interruption and the first speaker actually has to make a comment about procedure, i.e., appeals to an unstated rule of conversation structure, namely that each potential speaker is expected to wait until the current speaker reaches a TRP

markers of TRPs: - end of a structural unit (phrase/clause)- pause


Conversation and preference structurePAUSES AND OVERLAPS IV

A speaker who wants to keep holding the floor will avoid providing TRPs, i.e. avoiding open pauses at the end of syntactic units and places fillers/breaths in the middle, not at the end of those units.

I wasn't talking about - um his first book that was - uh really just like a start and so - uh isn't -doesn't count really.

Another floor holding device is to indicate that there is a larger structure to your turn

a. There are three points I'd like to make -- first ...b. There's more than one way to do this -- one example would be ...c. Didn't you know about Melvin? - Oh, it was last October ...d. Did you hear about Cindy's new car? - She got it in ...

a/b technical information about coming structurec/d preludes to storytelling

suspend regular exchange of turn process, speaker allowed to have extended turn


Conversation and preference structureBACKCHANNELS

speakers expect their conversational partners to indicate that they are listening- nodding, smiling, other facial expressions, gestures- vocal indications are called backchannel signals

Caller: If you use your long distance service a lot then you'll …Mary: // uh-huhCaller: be interested in the discount I'm talking about because …Mary: // yeahCaller: it can only save you money to switch to a cheaper service

// mmm

• backchannel signals provide feedback to the speaker that the message is being received, they indicate that the listener is following and not objecting• the absence of backchannels is interpreted as significant (in telephone conversations the speaker is prompted to ask whether the speaker is still there). • in face-to-face conversations the absence of backchannels may be interpreted as a way of withholding agreement.


Conversation and preference structureCONVERSATIONAL STYLE

There are individual and cultural differences in conversational style/turn taking• some individuals expect that participation in a conversation will be very active, that

speaking rate will be relatively fast, with almost no pausing between turns, and with some overlap or even competition between turns

high involvement style

• other speakers use a slower rate, expect longer pauses between turns, do not overlap and avoid interruption or completion of the other's turn

high considerateness style

style clashes lead a conversation to be one-sided- the faster speaker may think the slower one doesn't have much to say, is shy, perhaps boring or stupid

- the slower speaker may view the faster one as noisy, pushy, domineering, selfish and tiresome

features of conversational style are often interpreted as personality traits


Conversation and preference structureADJACENCY PAIRS I

Almost automatic patterns in the structure of conversation, e.g., in greetings and good-byes

Anna: Hello! Bill: Hi!Anna: How are you? Bill: Fine.Anna: See ya! Bill: Bye!

These automatic sequences are called adjacency pairsThey always consist of a first and second part produced by different speakers.The utterance of the first part immediately creates an expectation of the utterance of a second part of the pair.Failure to produce the second part will be treated as a significant and hence meaningful.A lot of internal variation is possible:Example: opening sequences of a conversation

First Part Second Part

A: What's up? B: Nothin' muchA: How's it goin'? B: Jus' hangin' in thereA: How are things? B: The usualA: How ya doin' B: Can't complain


Conversation and preference structureADJACENCY PAIRS II

Example: question - answer sequence A: What time is it? B: About eight-thirtyExample: thanking - response sequence A: Thanks. B: You're welcomeExample: request - accept sequence A: Could you help me with this? B: Sure

Insertion sequences can intervene between adjacency pairsForm Q1 - Q2 - A2 - A1 (one adjacency pair within another)

Agent: Do you want the early flight? (= Q1)Client:What time does it arrive? (= Q2)Agent: Nine forty-five (= A2)Client: Yeah - that's great (= A1)

Mix of different sequences possibleJean: Could you mail this letter for me? (Req. 1)Fred: Does it have a stamp on? (Q2)Jean: Yeah. (A2)Fred: Okay (Acc. 1)

also with temporary interactional exitA: Uhm, what’s the price now with VAT? (Q1)B: Er, I’ll just work that out for you (HOLD)A: Thanks (ACCEPT)

(10.0 s)B: Three Dollars nineteen a tube, Sir (A1)

Delay in response marks potential unavailability of the expected answer. It represents the distance between what is expected and what is provided and is always interpreted as meaningful.


Conversation and preference structureADJACENCY PAIRS III

Opening Sections (Summons-Answer Sequences)First utterance is a summons, the second utterance an answer to the summons, establishing an open channel for talk (three part structure).

Child: Mommy? summonsMum: Yes, dear. answerChild: Can I have chocolate? reason for summons

In telephone conversations the ringing of the telephone acts as the summons. Additional potential problems are identification/recognition

A: (causes telephone to ring at B’s location) summonsB: Hello answer + display for recognitionA: Hi greeting 1 + claim that A has recognized B +

claim that B can recognize AB: Oh hi! greeting 2 + claim that B has recognized A

Speakers tend to use a signatured prosody/voice quality in identity turnsAfter the opening sequence the caller announces the reason for the call (first topic slot)

B: (causes telephone to ring)A: HelloB: Hello Rob. This is Laurie. How’s everything?A: Pretty good. How ‘bout you?B: Just fine. The reason I called was to ask …


Conversation and preference structureADJACENCY PAIRS IV

Closing SectionsThe closure of any topic after the first one makes the introduction of a closing section imminent(some phone calls have an expectable overall organization that admits just one topic (‘monotopical’))- closings placed in such a way that no party is forced to exit while still having compelling things to say- hasty or slow terminations carry unwelcome inferences about the relationships between the speakers

A: Why don’t we all have lunch?B: Okay, so that would be in St. Jude’s wouldn’t it?A: YesB: Okay so …A: One o’clock in the bar closing implicative topic (arrangement)B: OkayA: Okay? one or more pairs of passing turns withB: Okay then thanks very much indeed George – pre-closing items (okay, alright, so …)A: - AlrightB: //See you thereA: //See you thereB: OkayA: Okay // bye terminal elementsB: // bye

Often closings reference back to aspects of the opening section, include summaries, or ask about the recipient’s state of health


Conversation and preference structurePREFERENCE STRUCTURE I

adjacency pairs represent social actions, and not all social actions are equal when they occur as second parts of some pairs, e.g., a first part request expects an acceptance

acceptance is structurally more likely than refusalStructural likelihood is called preferencePreference structure divides second parts into preferred and dispreferred social acts

First part Second partPreferred Dispreferred

assessment Isn't that really great? agree Yes, it is disagreeInvitation Why not join us tonight? accept I’d love to refuseoffer Want some coffee? accept Yes, please declineproposal Maybe we could go for a walk agree That'd be great disagreerequest Can you help me? accept Sure refuse


Conversation and preference structurePREFERENCE STRUCTURE II

Silence is also always a dispreferred response, often leading to a revision of the first part.(Non-response communicates that the speaker is not in a position to provide the preferred response)

Sandy: But I'm sure they'll have good food there(1.6 seconds)

Sandy: Hmm - I guess the food isn't greatJack: Nah - people mostly go for the music

Silence is risky as it may give the impression of non-participation in the conversational structureSpeakers often signal that they are producing the marked, dispreferred structure


Conversation and preference structurePREFERENCE STRUCTURE III

assessmentCindy: So chiropodists do hands I guessJulie: Em - well - out there - they they mostly work on people's feet

- initial hesitation: delay (em + pause)- preface: well- appeal to the views of others: out there- stumbling repetition: they they- relativizing statement/mitigation: mostly

invitationBecky: Come over for some coffee laterWally: Oh - eh - I'd love to - but you see - I - I'm supposed to get this finished - you know

- hesitation: oh - eh- preface: I'd love to (token acceptance)- stumbling repetition: I - I'm- account: I'm supposed to get this finished- invocation of understanding: but you see, you know


Conversation and preference structurePREFERENCE STRUCTURE IV

How to do a dispreferred second part.

delay/hesitate pause; er; em; ahpreface well; ohexpress doubt I'm not sure; I don't knowtoken acceptance that's great; I'd love toapology I'm sorry; what a pitymention obligation I must do X; I'm expected in Yappeal for understanding you see; you knowmake it non-personal everbody else; out theregive an account too much work; no time leftuse mitigators really; mostly; sort of; kindahedge the negative I guess not; not possible

• dispreferreds take more time/language/effort• more language creates more distance between first and second part• preferred represents closeness and quick connection• participants try to avoid creating contexts for dispreferreds e.g., by using pre-sequences


Conversation and preference structureEXERCISE

Identify the adjacency pairs in the given dialogs1 A: May I have a bottle of beer? Q1

B: Are you 21? Q2A: No A2B: No A1

2 B: I ordered some paint from you a couple of weeks agoA: YuhB: And I wanted to order some more – the name’s Boyd R1A: Yes // how many tubes would you like, Sir? Q1B: // An-B: Uhm, what’s the price now, eh, with VAT, do you know? Q2A: er, I’ll just work that out for you HOLDB: Thanks ACCEPT

(10.0 s)A: Three Dollars nineteen a tube, Sir A2B: Three nineteen is it? Q3A: Yeah A3B: Eh, yes uhm, jus- justa think, that’s what thre nineteen, that’s

for the large tube, isn’t it? Q4A: Well yeah it’s the thirty-seven CCS A4B: Er, Hmm, I tell you what – I’ll just uh call you back – I have

to work out how many I’ll need. Sorry I did- wasn’t sure of the price, you see ACCOUNT FOR NO A1

A: Okay

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p8 Conversation