Analysing: Casual Conversation

by Eggins, Suzanne; Slade, Diana

• ISBN13: 9781845530464
• ISBN10: 1845530462
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-01
• Publisher: Isd

Summary

"Analysing Casual Conversation, first published in 1997 by Cassell, develops a systematic model for the analysis and description of casual conversation in English. Working through authenic examples of casual conversations involving participants differing in age, gender, ethnicity and socio economic class, the authors argue that despite its sometimes aimless appearance and apparently unstructured coment, casual conversation is a highly structured activity and plays a critical role in the social construction of reality. Drawing on insights from sociology, linguistics and critical semioties, the book equips readers with the analytic skills to describe the layers of structure and critical interpretive frameworks to explain the 'social work' that goes on through chat.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	viii
List of Tables	ix
List of Texts	xi
Preface	xiii
Introduction: Collecting and transcribing casual conversation	1	(5)
1 Making meanings in everyday talk	6	(17)
1.1 Introduction	6	(2)
1.2 The achievements of casual conversation	8	(8)
1.3 The paradox of casual conversation	16	(3)
1.4 Defining casual conversation: pragmatic vs. casual conversations	19	(2)
1.5 Variation in casual conversation	21	(1)
1.6 Outline of the book	21	(2)
2 Relevant approaches to analysing casual conversation	23	(44)
2.1 Introduction	23	(1)
2.2 A typology of relevant approaches to analysing casual conversation	23	(2)
2.3 Sociological perspectives on casual conversation: ethnomethodology and conversation analysis	25	(8)
2.4 Sociolinguistic approaches to conversation	33	(7)
2.5 Logico-philosophic approaches to conversation	40	(3)
2.6 Structural-functional approaches to conversation	43	(15)
2.7 Critical linguistics and critical discourse analysis	58	(8)
2.8 Conclusion	66	(1)
3 The grammar of casual conversation: enacting role relations	67	(49)
3.1 Introduction	67	(1)
3.2 Grammatical patterns in casual conversation	67	(5)
3.3 Interacting patterns in casual talk	72	(2)
3.4 Mood: constituents in casual conversation	74	(10)
3.5 Mood types	84	(11)
3.6 Polarity	95	(1)
3.7 Yes/yeah and no/nope in casual conversation	96	(2)
3.8 Modality	98	(8)
3.9 Analysing for mood and modality	106	(2)
3.10 Interpreting mood choices in text 3.1	108	(5)
3.11 Mood in text 1.3: Dr Flannel	113	(1)
3.12 Conclusion	114	(2)
4 The semantics of casual conversation: encoding attitude and humour in casual conversation	116	(53)
4.1 Introduction	116	(1)
4.2 Constructing solidarity	116	(8)
4.3 Appraisal	124	(19)
4.4 Involvement: constructing intimacy and affiliation	143	(12)
4.5 Humour	155	(12)
4.6 Conclusion	167	(2)
5 The discourse structure of casual conversation: negotiating support and confrontation	169	(58)
5.1 Introduction	169	(1)
5.2 From colleagues to friends	169	(8)
5.3 Analysing interactivity: from grammar and semantics to discourse	177	(3)
5.4 A functional-semantic interpretation of interaction	180	(11)
5.5 Speech function classes in casual conversation	191	(23)
5.6 Speech function coding	214	(1)
5.7 Interpreting speech function analysis	215	(10)
5.8 Conclusion	225	(2)
6 Genre in casual conversation: telling stories	227	(46)
6.1 Introduction	227	(1)
6.2 Chunk and chat segments in casual talk	227	(3)
6.3 Principles of generic analysis	230	(6)
6.4 Storytelling genres	236	(28)
6.5 Casual talk at work: a generic characterization	264	(5)
6.6 The limitations of a generic analysis: the chat segments	269	(1)
6.7 Conclusion	270	(3)
7 Gossip: establishing and maintaining group membership	273	(39)
7.1 Introduction	273	(1)
7.2 Establishing that there is a distinctive genre of gossip	274	(4)
7.3 Defining and labelling the genre	278	(1)
7.4 The social function of gossip	279	(5)
7.5 Identifying and differentiating the text stages: the generic structure of gossip	284	(14)
7.6 Specifying semantic and lexico-grammatical realizations for each stage of a gossip text	298	(7)
7.7 The generic and micro structure of the gossip text	305	(5)
7.8 Conclusion	310	(2)
8 Conclusion	312	(5)
8.1 Introduction	312	(1)
8.2 Summary	312	(2)
8.3 Relevance of the book	314	(2)
8.4 Conclusion	316	(1)
References	317	(10)
Index	327