Interactional Sociolinguistics

Activities

Week 10

In-class Activity

1.. Discuss with your classmates the circumstances in which you might use foul language and the functions this kind of language might have in these circumstances.

 2.. Analyze one of the sample conversations using one of the following theories:

sample conversations

Fieldwork (include this in your field journal)

Do 1 or 2

1. Keep a record in one day of every time you hear 'chou hau' and every time you use it, the circumstances in which it is used and the functions you think it performs. 

2. Observe a gossip session between you and your friends and fill out the chart.

Self Presentation (how do participants present themselves, what roles do they play, what fronts do they use, what lines do they take?)

 

Conversational management (how do people manage turn-taking, back-channel, topic introduction, etc? How do they manage topics, build on topics, change topics? How do they cooperate in the conversation?) 

 

Frames (What kinds of contextualization cues do the participants use to signal what they are doing?)

 

Positioning (How ‘do participants position themselves, the other participants and the people they are talking about? What ‘storylines’ are their stories part of?)

 

Text for Analysis (include this in your field journal)

Under Construction

 

Reflection (include this in your field journal)

Spend a day (or half a day) trying to avoid gossip and foul language of any kind. Reflect on how easy or difficult it was.