Reaction Paper

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Conversational_Style_Analyzing_Talk_among_Friends_----_Appendix_2_Steps_in_Analyzing_Conversation5.pdf

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Chapter Title | 211

Appendix 2

Steps in Analyzing Conversation

1. Tape record (with consent) interactions. Choose one to study,

one that is familiar or intriguing, but one preferably with

identifiable boundaries and that includes participants you can

later interview. (Avoid overly personal or emotional interac-

tions, unless you have a special reason for choosing such

conversations and feel qualified to deal with the possible

repercussions.)

2. What speech event is taking place? What is the tone (what

Hymes calls the “key”) of the interaction?

3. Identify rough spots or otherwise marked segments such as (a)

miscommunication, or what Erickson calls “uncomfortable

moments” (perhaps where a participant has later commented,

“Something was funny there”), (b) a segment that seems

particularly pleasing (“there, we were really clicking; that was a

Tannen, D., & Tannen, D. (2005). Conversational style : Analyzing talk among friends. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com Created from apus on 2020-04-04 00:14:45.

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212 | Conversational Style

perfect conversation”), or (c) a segment representative of some

characteristic that has been noticed (“That’s what always

happens”).

4. Closely study that segment. Listen to it again and again. Tran-

scribe it. What is going on there? Look for such linguistic

phenomena as words spoken, propositions, topics (which ones?

how are they introduced? how are they maintained?), and

paralinguistic and prosodic features (pauses, pitch, loudness;

turn taking, overlap, interruption).

5. Compare the features found in the identified segment with those

found in other segments of the interaction.

6. Count: words, pauses, topics, overlaps, and so on.

7. Diagram: outline topics, propositions, patterns of agreement

and disagreement, and so on.

8. Get the reactions and interpretations of participants after the

fact.

9. Play the segment(s) for nonparticipants to get their reactions

and interpretations.

10. Try out your own interpretations and those gleaned from items

8 and 9 on colleagues and nonlinguist friends.

11. Try out your interpretations in the academic or the real world.

12. See if the patterns identified shed light on other data (or on life).