English language - Discourse features

Adjacency pairs

Sentences which follow each other •Produced by different speakers but have a logical connection and conform pattern

Hedging

Avoid answering questions by hedging around the topic

Pause fillers (Discourse particles)

Communication devices that don't have any meaning, but serve to fill in spaces.

Minimal response/ Back chanelling

Don't have a content function within the sentence •They serve to show a person that you are listening oEg, 'hmmmm','uh uh', or 'ok'

Overlap

Speaking over each other

Stress

The emphasis placed on certain parts of words

Pitch

The highs and lows of a voice Upward inflection is called a High rise terminal.

Register

The level of formality within the discourse, formal or informal.

Ellipsis

The omission of parts of sentences

Vocal effects

The sounds we make to supplement our words. •These include: laughter, pauses, breathing in and out.

Tempo

The speed with which we speak

Volume and pace

The volume and speed

Intonation

Variation in the tone of voice

Non - fluency features

eg. overlap, and minimal responses such as 'mmm'.

Turn taking

•Take Turns o Non-verbal cues o Conversation openers which suggest that a response is required