Discourse analysis

What is a conversational turn?

An English conversation can be described as an activity in which, for the most part, two or more people take turns at speaking. Typically, only one person speaks at a time and there tends to be an avoidance of silence between speaking turns. (This is not true in all situations or societies.) If more than one participant tries to talk at the same time, one of them usually stops.

What is the term for information not explicitly conveyed in communication, but draws from participants' memories?

Background knowledge.

What is the term for meaningful interpretation made possible by such connections?

Coherence.

What is the term for the individual connections between words and phrases in a text?

Cohesion.

What is the term for a conversational signal that a turn is complete?

Completion point.

What is the term for the study of turn-taking in conversation?

Conversation analysis.

What is the term for additional meaning conveyed by a user who is assumed to be cooperating while apparently not adhering to the maxims?

Hedges.

What is the term for words or phrases which mitigate statements or express uncertainty?

Implicatures.

What is the term for the conventional knowledge structure of specific objects, actions or processes?

Schemas.

What is the term for the conventional knowledge of actions that accompany specific events?

Script.

What is the name of Grice's general observation about the mechanics of successful conversation?

The co-operative principle. Which four aspects of conversational participation do Grice's maxims address, and what are the specific observations of each? The Quantity maxim: Make your contribution as informative as is required, but not more, or less, than is required. The Quality maxim: Do not say that which you believe to be false or for which you lack adequate evidence. The Relation maxim: Be relevant. The Manner maxim: Be clear, brief and orderly.

What is discourse?

The word "discourse" is usually defined as "language beyond the sentence" and so the analysis of discourse is typically concerned with the study of language in texts and conversation.

What can a conversation participant use to allow time for thought while not relinquishing the turn?

Turn taking

What is the term for an identifiable type of communication, such as an interview, a debate, a lecture, etc?

speech events.