This dissertation is about “getting to know you” conversation, a form of conversation prevalent in everyday interactions. It has been defined (Garner 2004: 181) as an interaction in which participants, usually of equal social status, make initial contact and establish friendly relations, and in which they are largely concerned with finding neutral topics through which they can establish common ground—shared experiences, opinions, interests, and the like. This doctoral research was based on extensive recordings and transcription of such conversations in English between university students (both native with native and native with non-native speakers), in a relatively naturalistic setting. The analysis was conducted in two steps. The first step was to identify and describe the recurrent patterns of the data, through well-established methods of Conversation Analysis. The second was to classify identified structures within a pragmatic framework: in other words, to label utterances and sequences according to their functional properties, and to specify their roles in building relationships between the interactants. Three major sequences were identified and discussed in detail in terms of their forms, functions and distributions in a “getting to know you” conversation. Differences in usage and pragmatic effectiveness between native and non-native speakers were also identified. The research makes a new contribution to the relatively small but growing body of work in the field of conversational pragmatics. The findings of this PhD work can, and it is hoped will be, made available for EFL classroom use in China. Drawing on the present study, a potential model is proposed for an instructional unit on sequences in GTKY conversations. The suggested approach would result in a change to the typical roles of teacher and textbooks currently occurring in Chinese education, which is outlined at the end of this dissertation.

This thesis presents a computational model of some of the knowledge and processing capabilities required by a speaker to produce fluent, coherent discourse in a natural language. The main purpose of the work is to study the representation of linguistic knowledge and the way in which this knowledge is used to produce utterances which achieve a communicative task in a given discourse situation. The model defines a simple world in which two actors communicate with each other in the course of attempting to achieve practical goals. The actors' behaviour is organised at three levels the level of non-linguistic planning and action, the level of the organisation of self-other interactions (turn-taking), and the level of the construction of individual utterances. Actions at lower levels gain functional relevance by their contribution to the achievement of goals defined at higher levels. At all levels, the model performs principled computations based on explicitly represented knowledge, thus embodying an account of how a non-linguistic goal might give rise to a particular form of words under appropriate circumstances

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Philosophy

The aim of the present investigation is to find out how male and female characters are represented in terms of topic management and thereafter how dominance or/and cooperation may be achieved by the aid of the topic changes and topic shifts in a conversation. Both male and female exclusive conversations and mixed-gender conversations are investigated in the TV show Happy Endings.

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Non-verbal cues to turn transitions are often studied in isolation from their linguistic substrate. It is argued that this produces a misunderstanding of the origin and action of 'turn-taking cues', and obscures the relationship of inter- actional process and switching style. A series of studies are presented which explore these issues utilising dialogues from three married couples. The pattern of switching styles in the interactions are described together with an examination of patterns of gazing and a content analysis of talk. The role of gaze in the regulation of turn transitions is evaluated with reference to Kendon's (1967) 'look-ups cue. The speed of speaker switching was found to be increased only where 'looking-up' arose in the context of low levels of gaze, with no change of gaze state prior to the look-up cue itself. Relationships between this cue and linguistic features of utterance endings were also noted. Further examination of this relationship is made through evaluation of the system of turn-yielding and maintaining cues proposed by Duncan (1972). Clause completion was found to be closely associated with the location of turn-taking attempts; other non-verbal cues tended to accompany this feature. Non- verbal behaviours were, however, important in differentiating (linguistically defined) intra- and inter-utterance boundaries. Relationships between strategy and turn taking style are explored; variations in the frequency and class of interruptions were found in different strategic states. The relationship of switching style to interactional meaning is discussed and the concept of cohesion introduced. This feature, which addresses, the textual continuity of talk, was found to be important to the perceived meaning of interruption sequences; the placement of interruptions either within or between boundaries in-the speakers talk did not exert a similar influence. Behavioural consequences of cohesion were also evident.

Altitudinal zonation of rain forests was investigated on Bukit Belalong (913m), Brunei. Mean annual rainfall was 4100mm at 45m and 5500mm at 913m. Mean annual temperatureswere 25.7°C (45m) and 21.8°C (913m). Three 0.25ha plots were set up at each of three altitudes. At 200m and 500m there was evergreen lowland rain forest and at 850m there was lower montane rain forest (LMRF). The Dipterocarpaceae had the highest proportion of basal area throughout, but their importance declined in the LMRF where the Fagaceae, Myrtaceae and Lauraceae were increasingly important. Soils in the LMRF were more organic and had higher concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus and the soils from 500m were the most acid and least base saturated. Rates of nitrogen mineralisation and soil concentrations of inorganic nitrogen did not differ significantly among altitudes. The rates (t ha-1 yr-1) of total small litterfall and leaf litterfall were significantly lower in the LMRF (10.6 and 7.9 at 200m; 10.5 and 7.9 at 500m; 8.3 and 6.0 at 850m). Litterfall nutrient concentrations were similar among altitudes, but smaller quantities of litterfall nutrients were cycled at 850m. The mass (t ha-1) of the small litter layer was similar throughout (5.2 at 200m; 6.1 at 500m; 5.2 at 850m) but leaf litter kL values were lower at 850m (2.4 at 200m; 2.4 at 500m; 2.0 at 850m). Fine root (<5mm) mass (t ha-1) in the top 100cm of soil was 8.3 (200m); 12.0 (500m); 10.6 (850m). Rates (t ha-1 yr-1) of fine root growth (estimated by ingrowth bags) were 0.9 (200m); 2.2 (500m); 0.5 (850m). A bioassay experiment using rice was made at 30m and 913m. Nutrients were more limiting in the montane soil, but climate was of overriding importance for rice growth. It seems that the LMRF is not nutrient limited and the lower temperatures at 850m are the primary cause of the change in species composition and reduction of stature there.

This study analyses overlaps in naturally occurring multi-party conversations among Japanese long-term residents of Australia, to investigate how Australian culture influences their Japanese communication style. One of the study???s interests is how their gendered communication styles appear in Australian English culture. Japanese gendered communication styles have been discussed in the literature, for example that males interrupt females more than vice versa; active participation by males versus passive participation by females in mixed-gender conversations; self-oriented topic initiation by males versus other-oriented topic initiation by females etc. These styles were assumed to be rarely observed in their L1 communication styles in Australia, where English, in which gendered language is less distinctive than Japanese, is spoken, and gender-free society has been more emphasised and practiced than in Japan. Among conversations recorded by the two informants, three multi-party conversations per informant (i.e. six in total) were selected, in which over 2000 overlaps are observed. The study first established a framework of functional overlap classification in terms of the ownership of the conversational floor. Then, based on this frame, all overlaps were classified into a number of functional categories, and were analysed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. The results showed little differences in the Japanese communication styles of the long-term residents of Australia from the Japanese communication styles which have been discussed in the literature, such as frequent use of aizuchi and other cooperative overlaps at and other than at Transition Relevance Places. As for gendered communication style, at least socio-cultural norms between traditional Japanese husband and wife are observed in the informants??? communication style. Although a number of variables that surround the informants need to be considered, the results may suggest that Japanese socio-cultural norms are, at this stage, more stable and they maintain the communication style of the Japanese long-term residents of foreign culture in their first language communication more strongly than was expected. However, different trends may be observed in future.

Texte remanié de: Diss.--Philosophische Fakultät--Köln--Universität, 1991.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1987.