Aspects and key questions for texts in section A

Function categories: 

• Transactional - getting something done
• Expressive - giving expression to feelings
• Performative - accompanying an action with a 'set' form of words e.g. like a christening
• Instructional - giving information about how to do something
• Referential - conveying factual knowledge
• Phatic - socialising through small talk
• Persuasive - advocating a point of view, trying to change someone's mind

Grices maxims:

1. Be truthful - quality
2. Be brief - quantity
3. Be relevant to context of situation - relevance
4. Be clear and unambiguous - manner

Varieties of spoken language:

• Dialect - form of language with own distinct lexis, grammar and pronunciation. Most commonly used to describe regional forms of a language e.g. cockney
• Sociolect - form of language associated with particular social group defined by either age e.g. teenagers, occupation e.g. lawyers or lifestyle e.g. rock musicians
• idiolect - term for individuals unique way of speaking 

Politeness principles:

• Never impose on receiver 
• Always give options to receiver 
• Always make receiver feel good

Face Theory:

• Following conventions of turn taking - no hogging or butting in
• Use of terms of address appropriate to the others' status 
• Speaking in a way that accurately reflects the social relationship with the other person
• Using a register in keeping with the context of the conversation

Voices in speech and writing

1) Spontaneous Conversations:

• Social situation: where and how does this influence?
• Relationship between participants?
• Age and gender of participants?

2) E- communication: 
Form:

• Chat room conversation
• email/s 
• Online diary (blog)
• Texts messages

Emails:

• Patterns in emails?
• Why send instead of telephoning or texting?
• Features resembling spoken conversation?
• Features resembling writing?

Chat room conversation:

• Typical features of spoken mode?
• Typical features of written mode?
• How does the fact that they are not face to face impact?
• How does the fact that the conversation is not private impact?

Blogs:

• How are voices influenced by unknown invisible audience
• How is voice influenced by asynchronous interaction?
• How does the idea that the ppts are not receiving simultaneous feedback as they would face to face impact on the blog?

3) Live speech broadcasts:
Forms:

• Sports commentary
• Talk show
• Phone-in programme

Television talk shows:

• How does the structure reflect context?
• Difference between voices (registers too) between people
• Extent to which interview seem formal or informal
• Balance of power between participants

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