Linguistic Assignment

In this assignment, you need to use the basic analytic concepts of the system for turn-taking in conversation, introduced in the lectures: turn-constructional unit (TCU), point of possible completion (PPC), transition relevance place (TRP), and projection, as well as the basic rules of speaker allocation/selection. Do not refer to orthography (e.g. full stops, commas) in your discussion, as this is not relevant in spoken dialogue.

1. Compare the arrowed turns in the two dialogues (example 1, line 7 and example 2, lines 1-3). Compare what is happening in each case in terms of turn construction using the concepts of the turn-taking system. In your answer, refer to specific line numbers and quote the text.

Note 1: there are three arrowed turns in example (2): make sure you discuss what’s happening in line 1 and, separately, what’s happening in lines 2-3.

Note 2: the ‘equals sign’ (=) represents ‘latching’ or very fast transition from the end of one TCU to the beginning of the next TCU (as discussed in lecture/tutorial). You should comment on this phenomenon in cases where it is relevant.

(1) Dee and Dick

01 Dee: Hello:(hh)? 

02 Dick: Good morning=

03 Dee: =Hi:, howareya.

04 Dick: Not too bad.How r you?

05 Dee: I'm fi::ne.

06 Dick: Howdit go?

07 Dee: -> Oh, just great.=everybody:-s still here.

08 Dick: Oh rea(hh)lly

09 Dee: Yeah

10 Dick: Oh they stayed. Okay.

(2) TG, 2:10-27

01  Ava: -> I'm so:: ti:yid.=I j's played ba:ske'ball t'day since the

02       -> firs' time since I wz a freshm'n in hi:ghsch[ool.]

03  Bee: ->  [Ba::]sk(h)et=

04 b(h)a(h)ll? (h)[(°Whe(h)re.)

2. Consider the sections of overlapping talk in example (3) (see lines 03 and 04) and in example (4) (see lines 08 and 09). In each case indicate how the overlap is generated, with reference to the components and rules of the turn-taking system. In your answer, refer to specific line numbers and quote the text.

(3) Virginia page 15

01 Mom:  ˙hhh ^Well that's something else. (0.3) ^I don't think that 

02    you should be going to the parties that Beth goe:s to. She’s

03    eighteen years old.An' you are fou:rtee:n, da[rlin'. 

04 Virg:   [I KNOW::, BUT 

05    A:LL THE REST OF MY: PEOPLE MY AGE ARE GWAFFS.I promise.they 

06    are si:ck. 

(4) Virginia page 28

07 Virg:  ^Yer the one- (0.4) -who got bo:mbed at graduation so 

08    bad couldn' even see:[:. 

09 Beth:   [Well graduation.'s some'in 

10    else.don'tchyou think so Wesley?

3. Compare the overlapping talk in example (5) (see lines 03 and 04) with that in (3) – how is (5) different from (3) in terms of how the turn-taking rules have allowed the overlap to occur? In your answer, refer to specific line numbers and quote the text.

(5) Auto Discussion 15

01 Curt: Mmm I’d like t’get a, high one if I cou:ld. 

02  (0.7) 

03 Gary: -> [I know uh-]

04 Mike: -> [Lemme ask ] a guy at work. He’s gotta bunch a’ old

05  clunkers.