SPOKEN DISCOURSE

EGE DABANSIZ
12-132-042
Differences That Seperating The Speech From
The Writing
• Writing includes some medium which keeps record of the conveyed message
while the spoken message takes place on air.
• Speech is more spontaneous than writing. As a result of this, mistakes,
repetitions, sometimes less coherent sentences, depending on the type of the
speech, even grunts, stutters or pauses might be meaningful in particular
contexes.
• In speech, it develops in time in the speaker says with speed it is suitable for
the listener and though a request for repetition is possible.
• In speech, speakers and hearers are most often in face-to-face encounters
(unless using a phone) they take advantage of extra-linguistic signals as
grimaces, gestures, expressions such as ‘here’, ‘now’, or ‘this’ or etc.
Differences That Seperating The Speech From
The Writing
• Employment of nonsense vocabulary, slang and contracted forms -we’re, you’ve
are other features of spoken discourse. Among other significant features of
speech there are rhythm, intonation, speed of utterance and, what is more
important, inability to conceal mistakes made while speaking (Crystal, 1995).
• Writing develops in space in that it needs a means to carry the information. The
author of the text does not often know who is going to read the text; as a result
he cannot adjust to readers’ specific expectations.
• One other feature typical of writing, but never of oral discourse, is the
organization of tables, formulas,or charts which can be observed only in the
written form (Crystal 1995).
Differences That Seperating The Speech From
The Writing
• Both written and spoken discourse can take place in varying degrees of formality,
from very formal to informal. However, written discourse mostly tends to have
more formal features than the spoken discourse.
• In formal spoken language as well as in most written texts, vernacular vocabulary
and slang are not used and it is possible to see more complex sentence
structures, use of passive constructions, and meticulous choice of vocabulary.
• Informal discourse, on the other hand, makes use of simple sentences and active
voice mainly, with personal pronouns and verbs which show feelings, opinions,
and attitudes, such as such as ‘I think’, ‘we believe’, etc. In addition,
contractions are frequent in informal discourse, no matter if it is written or
spoken.
Types of Spoken Discourse

• There are two main types of spoken discourse;

• One of them is monologue, which include lectures, propaganda speech, formal
presentations, sermons, etc.
• The other one is dialogues. Dialogues are interactional in nature. In other
words, they are conversations. These conversations are analyzed within the
domain of conversational analysis, which also involves turn taking.
Turn-Taking

• Conversation is an enterprise in which one person speaks, and another listens.

• Discourse analysts who study conversation note that speakers have systems for
determining when one person’s turn is over and the next person’s turn begins.
• This exchange of turns is signaled by such pragmatic means as intonation,
pausing or phrasing.
Turn-Taking

• Special Note: Some people await a clear pause before beginning to speak, but
others assume that ‘winding down’ is an invitation to someone else to take the
sequence. When speakers have different assumptions about how turn exchanges
are signaled, they may inadvertently interrupt or feel interrupted. On the other
hand, speakers also frequently take the floor even though they know the other
speaker has not invited them to do so.
Turn-Taking

• Listening too may be signaled in different ways. Some people expect frequent
nodding as well as listener feedback such as ‘mhm’, ‘uhuh’, and ‘yeah’. Lack of
these signals can create the impression that someone is not listening; more
than expected signals can give the impression that you are being rushed along.
• For some, eye contact is expected nearly continually; for others, it should only
be intermittent. The type of listener response you get can change how you
speak.
Discourse Markers

• Discourse markers is the term linguists give to the words like ‘well’, ‘oh’, ‘but’,
and ‘and’ that break our speech up into parts and show the relation between
parts.
• For example; ‘Oh’ prepares the hearer for a surprising or just-remembered
item, and ‘but’ indicates that sentence to follow is in opposition to the one
before.
• Special Note: However, these markers do not necessarily mean what the
dictionary says they mean.
• For example; Some people use ‘and’ just to start a new thought, and some
people put ‘but’ at the end of their sentences, as a way of trailing off gently.
Discourse Markers

• In face-to-face conversation, participants have a wide range of strategies for

creating a complete and meaningful text and maintaining involvement.
• Participants, coordinate their talk and secure understanding with body
language, paralinguistic features like intonation, volume, and tempo,
interactional cues like understanding checks and attention signals, along with
grammatical features like discourse markers, hedges, and tags.
Types of Discourse Markers

1. Understanding checks: These are signals used by the speaker to check whether
what has been said is understood, such as;
In English: y’know, right?, huh?, etc.
In Turkish: yaa?, Sahi mi?, öyle mi?, deme yahu?, etc.
2. Attention signals are used by the listeners to show that they are following the
conversation, such as;
In English: m’hm, uh-huh, wow, really?, etc.
In Turkish: Evet, hakkikaten, haklısın, çok doğru, etc.
Types of Discourse Markers

3. Manipulative Discourse Markers: Discourse markers are words that are used to
manipulate the conversation such as;
In English: well, I’m not sure anyway, she finally quit, it doesn’t matter though they
all left early, y’know
In Turkish: yani, hani, işte, şey, etc.
4. Hedges are linguistic devices: They are the discourse markers that are used in
order to show that the speaker is not totally involved in what is being said. In other
words, the speaker is trying to weaken the impact of the utterance. These are;
In English: kind of, sort of, a little (bit), well, let’s say, etc.
In Turkish: belki, sanmam, emin değilim, etc.
Types of Discourse Markers

5. Tag Questions: They are the questions, asked to obtain confirmation of the
listener on a previously uttered statement. Tag questions with auxiliary, reversed
negative polarity and personal pronoun.
Examples in English:
a. ‘It’s cold, isn’t it?’ or ‘It’s not cold, is it?’
b. ‘Judy will win, won’t she?’ or ‘Judy won, didn’t she?’
Examples in Turkish:
a. ‘Bugün hava çok güzel, değil mi?’
b. ‘Sen eve geleceksin, di mi?’
Types of Discourse Markers

Special Note: Tag questions also can be used in a conversation with Lexical tags like
right, okay, huh;
Examples in English:
a. It was Judy, right?
b. I’ll do it, okay?
c. So Judy won, huh?
Examples in Turkish:
a. Yarın buluşuyoruz, tamam mı?
b. Haftaya gideriz, tamam mı?
 
Thanks For Your
Participations 