MODULE 2 Meaning and discourse in English DISCOURSE

MODULE 2 Meaning and discourse in English DISCOURSE FUNCTIONS TRANSACTION AND INTERACTION Lecture 12 1

Functions of discourse There are two important functions of any Form of discourse. These are: n Transactional n Interactional 2

Transactional and interactional The aim of transactional language is to communicate a specific message “I’d like a cup of tea, please” - ‘Here you are” “Howard’s being eaten” The aim of interactional language is to maintain a social relationship “good morning… good morning” n Most discourse contains a mixture of transactional and interactional language 3

Transctional v Interactional (1) Aims and consequences TRANSACTIONAL n n Aim is for hearer to understand message correctly It has an effect on the world INTERACTIONAL n n Aim is for hearer to feel that speaker is friendly It does not have an effect on the world 4

Transactional v Interactional (2) Typical contexts n n n TRANSACTIONAL Doctor-patient Customer-bank clerk Teacher-pupil n n n INTERACTIONAL Phoning mum Visiting a friend in hospital Chatting at a bus stop Internet chat Talking to the dog 5

Transactional v Interactional (3) Typical content n n TRANSACTIONAL how to take the medicine how to open an account how to do fractions recipe details n n INTERACTIONAL greetings coldness of the weather lateness of the bus prettiness of the baby 6

Cafè - Elizabeth/Jenny n n n n Typical ch’stics of speech - repetition, filler, expressions of attitude, simple lexis Transactional (Is that. . ? ; I’ll have. . Can I have …? We’ll come back. . ) Interactional (tag questions - haven’t I? , shall we? inclusive “we”; laughs; search for agreement; lots of speaker support and cooperation from all speakers Adjacency pairs (question-answer) Insertion sequence (with milk? ) Preferred responses Politeness markers 7

Conversations have both transactional and interactional elements The conversation in the cafè is an example of both transaction and interaction: n The exchange between Elizabeth and the assistant is basically transaction n The exchange between Elizabeth and her friends in mainly interactional 8