Spoken Language Terminology (Paris)

Question 1

Accent

Answer 1

The way in which words are pronounced. Accent can vary according to the region or social class of a speaker

Question 2

Adjacency pairs

Answer 2

Adjacency pairs are parallel expressions used across the boundaries of individual speaking turns. They are usually ritualistic and formulaic socially. For example, “how are you?”///“fine thanks”

Question 3

Back channel

Answer 3

Back channel are words, phrases and non verbal utterances eg “I see” “oh” “uh huh” “really” used by listener to give feedback back to a speaker that the message is being followed and understood

Question 4

Contraction

Answer 4

Contraction is a reduced form often marked by an apostrophe in writing- eg. Can’t = cannot; she’ll = she will

Question 5

Deixis

Answer 5

Deixis are words such as “this” “that” “here” “there” which refer backwards or forwards or outside a text- sort of verbal pointing. Very much a context dependant feature of talk

Question 6

Dialect

Answer 6

Dialect is the distinctive grammar and vocabulary which is associated with a regional or social use of language

Question 7

Discourse marker

Answer 7

Discourse markers are words and phrases which are used to signal the relationship and connections between utterances and to sign spot that what is said can be followed by the listener or reader. Eg- “first” “on the other hand” “now” “what’s more” “so anyway”

Question 8

Elision

Answer 8

Elision is the omission or slurring (eliding) of one more sounds or syllables - eg- gonna = going to, wannabe = want to be, wasssssaaapp= what is up

Question 9

Ellipsis

Answer 9

Ellipsis is the omission part of a grammatical structure. For example, in the doalogue, “you going to the party” /// “might be” - the verb “are” and the pronoun “I” are missed out. The resulting ellipsis conveys a more casual and informal tone

Question 10

False start

Answer 10

False start is when the speaker begins an utterance, then stops and either repeats or reformulates it. Sometimes called self correction

Question 11

Filler

Answer 11

Fillers are items which do not carry conventional meaning but which are inserted in speech to allow time to thing, to create a pause or to hold a turn in conversation. Examples are “er” “um” “ah”. Also called voice pause

Question 12

Grices maxims

Answer 12

Grace proposed 4 basic conventional “rules” (maxims) as criteria for successful conversation. RQQM
Relevance (keeps you the point)
Quality (be truthful)
Quantity (don’t say too much or too little)
Manner (speak in a clear, coherent and orderly way)

Question 13

Hedge

Answer 13

Hedges are words or phrases which soften or weaken the force with which something is said eg - perhaps, maybe, sort of, possible, I think

Question 14

Idiolect

Answer 14

Idiolect is an individually distinctive style of speaking

Question 15

Interactional talk

Answer 15

Interactional talk is language used in conversation used for interpersonal reasons and/or socialising

Question 16

Non fluency features

Answer 16

Non fluency features are typical and normal characteristics of spoken language that interrupt the “flow” of talk. Some examples, false starts, hesitation, fillers repetition

Question 17

Paralinguistic features

Answer 17

Paralinguistic features are related to body language- it is the use of gestures, facial expressions+ other non verbal elements (such as laughter) to add meaning to the speakers message beyond the words being spoken

Question 18

Phatic talk

Answer 18

Phatic talk is conversational utterances that have no concerted purpose other than to establish or maintain personal relationships. It’s related to small talk - and follows traditional patterns, with stock responses and formulaic expressions : “how are you” “fine” “cold isn’t it” “freezing”

Question 19

Pragmatics

Answer 19

Pragmatics is an approach to discourse analysis which focuses less on structures and more on contexts and purpose of people talking to eachother. Crystal “Pragmatics studies the factors that govern our choice of language in social interaction and the effects of our choice on other”

Question 20

Prosodic features

Answer 20

Prosodic features includes features such as stress, rhythm, pitch, tempo, and intonation- which are used by speakers to mark out key meanings in a message. Essentially, how something is said

Question 21

Repairs

Answer 21

Repairs are an alteration that is suggested or made by a speaker, the addressee, or audience in order to correct or clarify a previous conversational contribution

Question 22

Sociolect

Answer 22

Sociolect is a social dialect or variety of speech used by a particular group, such as working class or upper class speech

Question 23

Tag question

Answer 23

Tag question is strings of words usually added to a declarative sentence to turn the statement into a question. Eg- “it’s a bit expensive round here isn’t it”

Question 24

Transactional language

Answer 24

Transactional language is language used to get things done or to transmit content or information (used when the participants are exchanging goods/service

Question 25

Turn talking

Answer 25

Turn talking is a turn in time during which a single participant speaks, within a typical, orderly arrangement in which participants speak with minimum overlap and gap between them. The principle unit of description in conversational structure

Question 26

Utterance

Answer 26

Utterance is a complete unit of talk, bounded by the speakers silence

Question 27

Vague language

Answer 27

Vague language is statements that sound imprecise and unassertive. Eg “and so on” “or whatever” “whatsit”