Topic: Conversational patterns &
Role of Context
Content
• Conversational pattern
• Conversational Structure
• The Role of Context
• Psychological context
Conversational patterns
Conversational pattern is an approach that starts
from the common-sense observation that people
take turns in conversation and that relies on
descriptions of naturally occurring data to
discover the rules involved in the patterning of
conversational exchanges. In this view,
conversation proceeds through ordered pairs of
utterances, called adjacency pairs. The utterances
in a pair are ordered, in that the first member of a
pair requires a second member.
Example
For example, a question requires an answer.
Phanin: Hello Jonh.
Phanith: Hi Biker.
Phanin: How's your day?
Phanith: I'm good, thanks. And you?
Phanin: Yah, I'm great. I known that you just
got a new job and congratulations .
Phanith: Ohhh of course, thank you so much.
Conversational structure
Conversational structure refers to the organization and flow of a
conversation. It includes the patterns of interaction, turn-taking,
topic maintenance, and the overall coherence of the exchange
between two or more participants. A well-structured conversation
typically involves balanced contributions from each participant,
clear transitions between topics, and the establishment of a shared
understanding.
One important aspect of conversational structure is turn-taking,
which involves the orderly exchange of speaking turns between
participants. This can be governed by implicit or explicit rules, such
as allowing each person to finish their point before the next person
speaks. Turn-taking helps to regulate the flow of conversation and
ensures that all participants have the opportunity to contribute.
Conversational structure .Co
Another key component of conversational structure is topic
management. This refers to how topics are introduced,
maintained, and shifted during the course of a conversation.
Engaging in topic management involves the ability to introduce
new topics, smoothly transition between them, and ensure that
all participants have the opportunity to express their thoughts on
the subject at hand.
Furthermore, conversational structure encompasses the use of
verbal and non-verbal cues to signal agreement, disagreement,
understanding, or confusion, as well as the ability to actively
listen and show empathy towards the other participants. These
elements contribute to the overall coherence and effectiveness of
Conversational structure .Co
In addition, conversational structure varies across cultures
and contexts, so individuals may need to adapt their
communication style and conversational strategies to be
effective in different settings. For example, in some cultures,
interrupting others during a conversation may be considered
rude, while in others it may be a sign of active engagement.
Overall, having a clear conversational structure can lead to
productive, engaging, and meaningful interactions, whether
they occur in casual social settings, professional
environments, or in other contexts.
The role of context
In all approaches to pragmatic, context play a crucial role in the
communication process. In social pragmatics, there are three features of
situational context on people’s use of language:
1. The participants: their role, the power they hold , the closeness
between them and the number of people present.
2. The message content: this part focuses on How costly or beneficial the
message is to both speaker and listener or hearer. Messages content
should stay in the right and obligations of the relationship.
3. The communicative activity: such as job interviews, a lecture or a
medical consultation. This is refer to the activities influence language
behavior for example like the right to talk or ask questions.
Psychological context
Psychological context is more crucial in pragmatic.
For example, if you do not want your colleague in the next
office to hear what you are about to say, you may speak in a
low voice. However, your decision to speak in this way
depends not so much on whether your colleague is actually
in the next office or not as on your beliefs about his/her
possible presence and ability to overhear your conversation.
So in pragmatics, context can be defined as the set of
assumptions (that is, mental representations capable of
being true or false) that have a bearing on the production
and interpretation of particular communicative acts.
Problem of Pragmatic
One of the main problems of pragmatics is to explain the constant updating of
con- textual assumptions in the course of a communicative exchange.
[1] Kiki: Where are you going tonight?
[2] Sharon: Ministry.
[3] Kiki: Ministry?
[4] Sharon: Ministry of Sound. A club in London. Heard of it?
[5] Kiki: I've been clubbing in London before.
[6] Sharon: Where to?
[7] Kiki: Why do you want to know?
[8] Sharon: Well, I may have been there.
[9] Kiki: It was called 'The End'.
[10] Sharon: Nice one!
[11] Kiki: I hope you have a good time at the Ministry.
(contributed by Kelly-Jay Marshall)
CONCLUSI
ON
