Discourse Analysis

While transcriptions are helpful ways of examining spoken language "frozen" into a written mode, discourse analysis looks at conversation between two or more people and examines not only what they say but how they say it and crucially how they interact together. How do you know it is your turn to speak? How do you make it known that you want to speak? Turn taking is an interesting study.

Turntaking, use of pauses, overlaps when two people speak simultaneously, and deixis are all features of spontaneous conversation and elements of discourse analysis.

It's also worth looking at the phatic function - where content is les important than the fact of saying something to keep the channels of communication open.

And what about conversation openers? What do you say when introduced to new people or joining a group you're unfamiliar with? Or chatting up that handsome hunk or beautiful blonde ... ?

See Unscripted Conversations