analyzing spoken interaction (asi)
Address Forms
How should students and teachers address each other? A cross-cultural comparison of address forms in the classroom.
Address Forms Inversion
Is India the only country where address forms are "inverted," as in
"Sally Aunty?"
Answering Machine Article
A link to an article about the politeness strategies men and women use when leaving voice mail messages on answering machines.
ASI Approaches
A chart summarizing and comparing five different approaches to analyzing spoken interaction (speech act theory, Gricean pragmatics, ethnography of communication, interactional sociolinguistics, and conversation analysis).
ASI Assignment Ideas
In this off-list discussion, three CPs comment and offer feedback on their assignment ideas. Topics include non-verbal communication, non-native-speaker pronunciation, and staffroom interaction.
A View of Conversation Analysis
A view of conversation analysis from an outsider's perspective - this article is from The Guardian newspaper and is part of an ongoing series called "Improbably Research".
Classroom Challenge Episode
Following a request for transcripts of student challenges to teacher authority, an episode of such an occurrence is reconstructed from memory.
Conversation Analysis
A question about the methodology of conversation analysis, then discussion about the process of determining the mental state of a speaker and what can and can't be inferred.
Conversation Analysis Conventions
Advice on how to transcribe an interaction in which an exterior sound (e.g., a bell ringing) continues through several turns.
Discourse Intonation Website
A link to the Centre for Discourse Intonation Studies, a site devoted to David Brazil's theory of intonation. This site contains some very useful examples of intonation patterns that you can listen to. This site is also a recommended resource for anyone doing Unit 4 in MET.
Ethnography of Communication
Observations about the gap between how authoritative statements of reality often don't coincide with personal experience.
Ervin & Tripp Question
In the Erivin & Tripp article from IIC unit 1, a weakness is discovered in their diagram regarding communication systems of different cultures.
Expressing Bereavement
What is the best thing to say (or not to say) to someone who is bereaved?
Face-work Negotiation
A discussion about "face-work negotiation" in a cross-cultural setting- how two cultures (Asian and western in this case) use different strategies to negotiate face- and how different cultures perceive the meaning of face. How does all of this affect intercultural communication in the workplace?
Freeman Paper
Keith Richards offers a detailed account of an article by Donald Freeman entitled, "Collaboration: constructing shared understandings in a second language classroom," a paper that makes good reading for Unit 2 of the ASI module. Keith also adds some reflective questions to allow you to "compare notes" with his take on this article.
Gender Talk Book
An announcement for a new book on gender entitled, "Gender Talk: Feminism, Discourse, and Conversation Analysis."
Good ASI Books
Two highly recommended books regarding the analysis of spoken language.
Good CA Article
An abstract and link to an excellent article for beginners in conversation analysis (CA) entitled, "Paterns of Talk- A Micro-Landscape Perspective", by Jerry Gale.
"Illocutionary Force" defined
What is "illocutionary force?" Discussion and examples of this concept are given, including the famous "Let 'em have it" trial.
Interaction Discourse News
Does teacher talk and newstalk have any 'frameworking' and/or coding devices in common?
"Intersubjective" defined
A definition and analysis of this concept.
Interruption & Power in the Classroom
First a discussion of Murata 1994 ("Intrusive or co-operative: a cross-cultural study of interruption"), an article supplied with IIC unit 9. The conversation then moves on to the related topic of "power in the classroom," inspired by the Reynolds 1990 ("Classroom power- some dynamic of classroom talk"), an IIC unit 7 article. Thanks to James Hobbs for submitting these messages.
Linguistics & Pedagogy
In this is a branch of the "Illocutionary Force" discussion, the role of linguistics in pedagogy (how awareness of linguistic concepts helps teachers work with learners) is discussed.
Observer's Paradox
What is observer's paradox? What can be done about it? Insights for taking this phenomenon into account when doing research.
Politeness & Face
References given on the topic of politeness and "face" in interaction. Includes an excerpt from a peer feedback transcript that features numerous instances of "politeness gambits" meant to save face.
Qualitative Research
What is qualitative research?
Recording Data
Tips on how to go about gathering good recordings of your students.
Recording Students
Additional advice from a CP on how record your students.
Recording Telephone Conversations
Technically detailed advice on how to record phone conversations.
Schiffrin & Approaches to Discourse Analysis
When doing the ASI assignment, which approach to discourse analysis (based on the ones outlined in the Schiffrin text) are best to use? Which approach did CPs take most often, and why?
Sociolinguistic Areas of ASI
The search for understanding of the interrelationships between the various areas, traditions, and methodologies discussed in the ASI module.
Starting IIC (ASI)
Advice for how to go about completing this module, including whether to choose the exam or assignment and how to go about the tasks.
Taxi Driver Stories
A CP reconstructs a conversation he had with a taxi driver in Greece and notices it took the form of a "generic paradigm." Analysis & discussion of this story ensue.
Terminology for Hedging Words
What is the technical term for "softening" words such as "a little bit", "maybe", "I think", and "I guess" when these are used to offer feedback in a group situation?
Transcription Systems
A pertinent quote from Atkinson (1988) that makes a valuable point about all transcription systems.
Turn Taking
Do people from different cultures share the same discourse strategies? A comparison between the way Greeks and Japanese take turns speaking in natural conversations.
with 
and 
