Discourse analysis

Bus conductor: One pound twenty.

Passenger: (gives £1.20)
Conductor: Thank you.
Passenger: Thank you.

2. 
   (University seminar; lecturer is facing the class, using an overhead projector.)
   

Student: It's not focused
Lecturer: thank you (adjust the projector)
Activity 3 To find the difference between Exchanges and Adjacency pairs look at the following examples of lesson discourse and say how it differ from native people speech. Try to give a formula for Exchange and Adjacency pairs
Extract 1 Teacher: Now Maria, you ask Fumiko.
Maria: What did you do at the weekend?
Fumiko: I went to Wales.
Teacher: Good, now Fumiko, you ask Marco, . . . (etc.)
Extract 2 Maria: What did you do at the weekend?
Fumiko: I went to Wales.
Maria: Oh, really? Where did you go?

Extract 3 A: Congratulations on the new job, by the way.
B: Oh, thanks.
Extract 2 A: I've just passed my driving test.
B: Oh, congratulations.
A: Thanks.

• 
  Complete the sentences Exchanges are ...
  

The adjacency pairs are...

Activity 4 There is a real example of two non-native speakers acting out. In small groups appoint two students and try to act out role play, using instructions , but first write down the transcript of the dialogue using the following useful phrases: 'What's been happening?'; 'catch up on something'; 'Sorry, I can't tell you'; exciting events', 'be up to date',

• 
  Is the exchange structure natural, and are the adjacency pairs realized in natural ways?
  

Role card A:
You've just come back from a holiday abroad and are talking to a friend/colleague, B.

1. 
   Try and catch up on the national news you've missed while away.
   
2. 
   Try in particular to find out if anything important has happened on the political scene. Get as much detail as you can.
   
3. 
   Find out about an important sporting event you know you have missed.
   

Role card B:
You are talking to your friend/colleague, A, who has just returned from a holiday abroad.

1. 
   Tell him/her you are not really up-to-date either and explain why.
   
2. 
   You do know of one important political event; tell him/her what it was
   
3. 
   Apologize for not knowing what's been happening in the world of sport, and explain why?
   

• 
  In order to check the script you prepared with your groups you may listen the real native people interaction e.g. in movies, radio etc.