formality discouse strategies and spoken discourse in formal texts

discourse strategies and cooperation in formal texts

• topic management

• turn taking

• repair sequences

topic management

• shifts in topic can be planned

• shifts can be flagged using discourse particles or a new questions

• reveals social distance and hierarchy in who has the ability to transition between topics expecting audience to follow

turn taking

• expectation of compliance to sharing turn-taking

• roles of speakers dictate how the floor is managed and by whom

• passing the floor can be indicated by falling intonation or imperatives

repair sequences

• indicate that someone is trying to represent themselves as authoritative

• indicate that someone is trying to show they have expertise in an area

• hierarchical roles can affect how repairs are approached

opening statements

• used to establish contact

• introduce people and/or topics

• signal to audience that a ceremony or event is about to begin

closing the statements

• can be formulaic

• meet politeness standards

• indicates if an interaction has been successful

  • thank you so much for your time

  • i wish you the best in the future

adjacency pairs

• used as a method of topic management

• ensure clarity - FAQs on a website

• meets politeness standards in a formal context

  • host: welcome to the program

  • guest: thank you for having me

minimal responses

• provide feedback to the speaker to affirm, show support or signal enthusiasm

• signal that the participant understands the communication

  • interviewee: I think its important that people get enough sleep for brain health

  • interviewer: mmm

discourse particles

• organise conversation or speech

• signal topic changes

• soften blunt statements

overlapping speech

• less common in formal texts

• speakers have clearer roles and therefore speaking turns are more formulaic

• frequent overlapping speech in formal texts can indicate one has more power or that there isn’t harmony