CHAPTER ONE ==================================================== ==================== VINH UNIVERSITY Department of Foreign Languages == == Lê thị thùy dung INTERRUPTION IN Age-BASED AND GENDER-BASED CONVERSATIONS: STUDY ON TYPES, OUTCOMES AND FUNCTIONS (NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ THỂ LOẠI, TÁC ĐỘNG VÀ CHỨC NĂNG CỦA SỰ NGẮT LỜI TRONG ĐÀM THOẠI TRÊN CƠ SỞ VỀ TUỔI VÀ GIỚI) GRADUATION THESIS FIELD: LINGUISTICS  VINH, 2007  ========================================================== CHAPTER ONE ==================================================== ==================== VINH UNIVERSITY Department of Foreign Languages == == INTERRUPTION IN Age-BASED AND GENDER-BASED CONVERSATIONS: STUDY ON TYPES, OUTCOMES AND FUNCTIONS (NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ THỂ LOẠI, TÁC ĐỘNG VÀ CHỨC NĂNG CỦA SỰ NGẮT LỜI TRONG ĐÀM THOẠI TRÊN CƠ SỞ VỀ TUỔI VÀ GIỚI) By: Lê Thị Thùy Dung – 44B1 Supervisor: Lê Thị Thúy Hà, M.A  VINH, 2007  ========================================================== CHAPTER ONE ==================================================== ==================== Acknowledgments I am indebted to my supervisor Miss Le Thi Thuy Ha, M.A for her valuable counsel and enthusiasm in the process of implementing and correcting this paper I also owe a debt to my close friends for their encouragements as well as belief I am very much grateful to my parents, who always bring me the most favorable conditions for the process Special thanks to my supporters, especially those who took part in my questionnaires and audiotape recording And to those who put the belief on me and assist me a lot in preparation process as well as their supports during the course of producing this paper ========================================================== CHAPTER ONE ==================================================== ==================== ABSTRACT Conversational interruption is one phenomenon which does not only undermine the verbal interaction between people, but it also presents something of a paradox to the researchers studying conversational patterns On the one hand, interruptions are a class of conversational behaviors that may impede the smooth flow of information On the other hand, social relationships, difference between ages and genders also influence how interruptions are employed What is more, interruptions are difficult to define because they possess few characteristics that can be objectively observed Therefore, the researcher decided to put a case investigation on behaviors of verbally conversational interruption into service Firstly, the researcher wished to examine theoretical approaches to interruptions, and to frame several issues in terms of conversational analysis Secondly, the researcher attempted to answer whether and how interruptions change depending on people’s age or gender Finally, this case study hopes to contribute to the communicative approach in general; and to conversational interrupting behaviors in particular Qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed including the use of questionnaire, naturalistic audiotape recording, the data of which were later analyzed and discussed using procedure of data analyses The major findings of this study support the notion that English-speaking people interrupt cooperatively In addition, conversational interruptions change due to people’s age or gender Furthermore, males and females display differences in relative flexibility when adjusting their communication styles to different partners The study recommend to put further exploration to unanswered questions regarding the theme ========================================================== CHAPTER ONE ==================================================== ==================== table of content ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………… i ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………… ii TABLE OF CONTENT ……………………………………………………… iii ABBREVIATION ………………………………………………………… v LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………………………… vi LIST OF FIGURES ………………………………………………………… vii PART A: INTRODUCTION I Rationales …………………………………………………………… II Aims of the study …………………………………………………… III Scope of the study …………………………………………………… IV Methods of the study ………………………………………………… V Design of the study ………………………………………………… PART B: DEVELOPMENT Chapter Theoretical Preliminaries ……………………………………… 1.1 Communication Theory ………………………………………… 1.1.1 The Concept of Communication …………………………………… 1.1.2 Communication Process and Elements …………………………… 1.1.3 Communication Models …………………………………………… 1.2 The Study of Speech Acts ………………………………………… 1.2.1 Foundation of Speech Acts ………………………………………… 1.2.2 Dialogue Acts ……………………………………………………… 11 1.2.3 Speech Acts in Conversation ……………………………………… 12 1.3 13 Conversation Theory ……………………………………………… 1.3.1 Overview of Conversation Theory and Conversation Analysis …… 13 1.3.2 Turn-taking in Conversation ……………………………………… 15 1.3.3 Interruption in Conversation ……………………………………… 16 1.3.3.1 Concept of Conversational Interruption …………………………… 16 1.3.3.2 Conversational Interruption Affected by Politeness Strategies …… 17 ========================================================== CHAPTER 10 ONE ==================================================== ==================== Chapter Types, Outcomes and Functions of Interruption in Age-based and Gender-based Conversations …………………………………………….… 19 2.1 Types, Outcomes and Functions of Interruption …………………… 19 2.2 Data Analysis and Discussion ……………………………………… 23 2.2.1 Interruption Frequencies ………………………………………….… 23 2.2.2 Interruption Differences by Genders ……………………………….… 27 2.2.3 Interruption Differences by Age …………………………………… 29 Chapter Major Findings and Some Suggested Expressions for Interrupting Politely ………………………………………………………………………… 32 3.1 Findings ………………………………………………………… … 32 3.1.1 Evaluation of Interruption …………………………………………… 32 3.1.2 Acceptability of Conversational Interruption ……………………… 23 3.1.3 Acceptability by Function …………………………………………… 33 3.2 34 Some Suggested Expressions for Interrupting Politely ……………… PART C: CONCLUSION I General Conclusion ………………………………………………… 36 II Limitations …………………………………………………………… 36 III Suggestion for Further Studies ……………………………………… 37 RERFERENCES …………………………………………………………… 38 APPENDICES ……………………………………………………………… 41 ========================================================== CHAPTER 11 ONE ==================================================== ==================== Abbreviations and signals AI : Add Information ANOVA: Analysis of Variance BC : Backchannel BCU : Both Complete Utterance CA : Conversational Analysis CS : Challenge Speaker CT : Cede Turn CU : Continue Utterance DI : Deep interruption EA : Express Agreement IBC : Interrupt Backchannel OV : Overlap RI : Resolve Interruption RT : Retain Turn/Topic SI : Silent Interruption SIS : Simultaneous Initial Speech TE : Timing Error OM : Older Male OF : Older Female YM : Younger Male YF : Younger Female … : Uncompleted utterances or Continued utterances ========================================================== CHAPTER 12 ONE ==================================================== ==================== LIST OF TABLES Result of Questionnaire Total of Interruption Types, Outcomes and Functions out of 260 Interruptions Total of Each Group’s Interruption Means of Estimated and Actual Interruption by Questionnaire Participants Total Interruption Types of Each Group Total Interruption Outcomes of Each Group Total Interruption Functions of Each Group Number Interruption Types Recorded from 10 Tapes Number Interruption Outcomes Recorded from 10 Tapes 10 Number Interruption Functions Recorded from 10 Tapes ========================================================== CHAPTER 13 ONE ==================================================== ==================== LIST OF FIGURES Communication Process Linear model of communication by Shanon and Weave Circular model of communication by F de Saussure Conversation act types in the Traum and Hinkelman (1992) scheme Interruption types, outcomes and functions Mean Number of Actual and Estimated Interruptions During a 15-minute Conversation in Four Groups Mean Percentage of Interruption Types for Total Population Mean Percentage of Interruption Functions for Total Population Mean Percentage of Interruption Outcomes for Total Population 10 Total Interruptions in Cross-sex Groups 11 Total Interruptions by Each Group 12 Percentage of Each Group’s Interruptions ========================================================== CHAPTER 14 ONE ==================================================== ==================== PART A: INTRODUCTION VI Rationales In the course of conversations, people frequently interrupt each other This phenomenon presents something of a paradox to the researchers studying conversational patterns On the one hand, when asked how they feel about being interrupted, untrustworthy evidence suggests that adult speakers try not to interrupt others, and that they apologize to their conversational partners when they interrupt On the other hand, despite this perspective on interruptions, people interrupt frequently, more times perhaps than they are willing to admit Furthermore, interruptions are a class of conversational behaviors that may violate turntaking and impede the smooth flow of information Social relationships, difference between ages and genders also influence how turns are allocated and used What is more, interruptions are difficult to define because they possess few characteristics that can be objectively observed; rather, their occurrence, definition, and acceptability appear to be socially constructed by both participants and observers Generally, interruptions appear to play a role in the relationship between one’s age, gender, and conversational status, in terms of how frequently one interrupts, and with which conversational partner In view of the higher status generally conferred by age in this society, one would expect older people to exercise interruption rights in their conversations with younger people Wiens, Saslow, and Matarazzo (1966) estimated that one fifth of all utterances are interruptions of one kind or another Factors contributing to this variability, such as quantity of talk, rate of speech, and type of conversation, have never been carefully examined Meanwhile, everyday conversation is one of the most frequent interactions in which information is exchanged in an immense amount and in vast kinds; and interruption is undeniably one component of that system ========================================================== ... Percentage of Each Group’s Interruptions == == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == CHAPTER 14 ONE == == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == == = == = == = == = == = == = == PART A: INTRODUCTION... ……………………………………………………………… 41 == == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == CHAPTER 11 ONE == == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == == = == = == = == = == = == = == Abbreviations and signals AI : Add Information... Interruption Functions Recorded from 10 Tapes == == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == CHAPTER 13 ONE == == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == == = == = == = == = == = == = ==