Sella Ananda Giovany

Summary Sociopragmatics
Conversational Structure:
A conversation is not simply a string of grammatically well-formed utterances, in random
disposition from different speakers.
Classification:
1. Turn taking Back-channel signals
2. Back- channel signals
3. Adjacency pairs Insertion sequences
4. Insertion sequences
5. Pre-sequences Preferred second parts.
6. Preffered second parts.
Having Turn-taking
The control of the floor at any time in a conversation is called a turn.
(1). Paralinguistic signals: nodding, gestures, smile
(2). Facial expressions: vocal signals yeah
The Wolf: You're Jimmie, right? This is your house?
Jimmie: Sure is.
The Wolf: I'm Winston Wolfe. I solve problems.
Jimmie: Good, we got one.
The Wolf: So I heard. May I come in?
Jimmie: Uh, yeah, please do.
(Pulp Fiction, 1994)
Back-channel Signals:
In conversation, a noise, gesture, expression, or word used by a listener to indicate that he or she
is paying attention to a speaker.
According to H.M. Rosenfeld (1978), the most common back-channel signals are head
movements, brief vocalizations, glances, and facial expressions, often in combination.
Fabienne: I was looking at myself in the mirror.
Butch Coolidge: Uh-huh?
Fabienne: I wish I had a pot.
Butch Coolidge: You were lookin' in the mirror and you wish you had some pot?
Fabienne: A pot. A pot belly. Pot bellies are sexy.
(Pulp Fiction, 1994)
Adjacency Pairs Definition:
In conversation analysis, a two-part exchange in which the second utterance is functionally
dependent on the first, as exhibited in conventional greetings, invitations, and requests. An
adjacency pair is a type of turn-taking. It is the smallest unit of conversational exchange. Sacks
isolates a class of sequences of closely related turns in a conversation and labels them as
adjacency pairs. Such as offers requiring acceptance or rejections, questions requiring answers,
greetings requiring greetings, etc.
Features:
(1). They are two utterances long.
(2).Two utterances are ordered as a first part and second part.(3).The sequences of two
utterances as the result of turn-taking.(4).A particular first part requires a particular
second part
Adjacency pairs include such exchanges as:
Question/answer; complaint/denial; offer/accept; request/grant; compliment/rejection;
challenge/rejection; instruct/receipt.
Biggles: Miss Bladder, take a letter.
Miss Bladder: Yes, Biggles.(Monty Python's Flying Circus)Mitchell Pritchett: Hey Cam,
does the gardener usually work on Saturdays? Cameron Tucker: I don't know, he comes
when we need him. He's like Batman, but straight.(Modern Family)
Elaine: Ugh, I hate people.
Jerry: Yeah, they're the worst.(Seinfeld)
Preferred and Dis-preferred Second Parts:
Eg.
A: What does John do for a living?
B: (a) Do you need to know? (b) Oh, this and that.(c) I’ve no idea.
As we can see, some first parts allow for alternative seconds which are not of equal status. Some
are preferred and some dis-preferred---a distinction which may have a psychological basis and
explanation, but also has linguistic realization: “preferred seconds are unmarked---they occur as
structurally simpler terms; in contrast dis-preferred seconds are marked by various kinds of
structural complexity.” (Levinson)
Insertion sequence
Conversation can take a linear structure, one pair followed by another; there are also cases of
embedding, of one pair occurring inside another an adjacency pair is not adjacent, but separated
by another adjacency pair.
Schegloff (1972) calls these embedded pairs insertion sequences. Then sequence will then
become Q1-Q2-A2-A1. The middle pair (Q2-A2) is called an insertion sequence.
Customer: My daughter was coughing quite a bit last night
Customer: My daughter was coughing quite a bit last night. Can you suggest anything?
(Q1)Pharmacist: How old is your daughter?
(Q2)Customer: She is four.
(A2)Pharmacist: This is a good children’s cough syrup. Give her two teaspoons before she goes
to bed. If her cough doesn’t clear up in a day or two, you should take her to the doctor.
(A1)Customer: I will. Thanks.
Pre-sequences Offers, requests and invitations naturally prefer acceptance, thus we have pre-
sequences (pre-request, pre-invitation and pre-arrangement ), which are psychologically
motivated structures to avoid loss of face for one or both participants resulting from a dis-
preferred second having to be performed. Pre-sequences are the kind of sequences that are used
to prefigured some specific potential actions.
Four turns
Turn 1: a question checking if some precondition exists or the action be performed in Turn 3
Turn 2: an answer indicating that the precondition exists (or does not exist the case might be)
Turn 3: the actual action, if the precondition exists; otherwise withholding it
Turn 4: response to the action in Turn 3