24 S: I don’t know (2) like what I presume it would be
25 A: I don’t bite my nails
26 C: how long do they last
27 K: did you see that woman in Tesco’s with her false nails that served us (.) she was about forty
28 S: no
29 K: and she had these (.) like pink and red
30 S:P [were they ]
31 K: [fake nails on]
32 S: were they really long
33 K: …and she looked really skanky as well
34 S: I didn’ notice
35 A: how much do you pay for your false nails Tom
36 K: he get’s them for free don’t you Tom
37 T: I get some cheap little Vietnamese person to do it for me
38 K:Sally( )
39 T: yeah (1) all you’ve got to do is give them a bit of food or something (laugh)
40 T: oh while we’re on the subject of odd people working in supermarkets (.) if you go to Asda in the Beehive centre…….
41 K: Sally ( laugh )
42 T: ( laugh ) yeah it’s actually a man’s head on a woman’s’ body .With fairly long hair.It really is uncanny
43 A: it might be (2) is it one of those transsexual (.) erm…
44 T: I don’t know. It’s just the way (.) you kind of (2) look at it and think (1) what
and then you have to look twice.
45 A:oh. so has she (2) got…
46 T: she’s got like a feminine body but then with a masculine head
47 A:. with all the hair and stuff hanging out
48 T: I don’t know. I never really got that close.I mean (1) I walked past her (.) but didn’t really see if she had any stubble(.) or anything
49 C: I think she served me once(.) I swear it’s true
50 K: Sally does have stubble (laugh)
51 K: Sally lives on Metcalfe road just off off Gilbert road and erm (2) drives to work in a bright green jumper (.) but what I don’t understand is that if you’re male and you want to be a woman, why you wouldn’t go the extra effort to shave or to look feminine in any other way why you would just (2) want…..
52 S: well it’s a man
53 T: ( inaudible)
54 K: yeah but I don’t understand (.) it’s like a sort of half-caste (3) it’s like (.) not a full(.) transition
55 T: you go through all that effort having surgery to make yourself a man (.) no (.) a woman sorry…(.)
56 K: and then you don’t change
57 A: yeah (2) but don’t they take some kind of (2) erm..some kind of hormone therapy to stop the hairs growing
58 K: well yeah (.) but you sort of make the rest of the effort yourself(2) until it kicks in
59 A: erm.. (2) I see what you mean (.) with the hair stuff (.) but once you’ve got that(2) the only way (2) the only way they’re gonna get rid of it is through electrolysis
60 K: yeah….
61 A:…and that’s ( 2) well (.) they charge you by the hair almost
A short commentary on the transcription of a conversation.
English language assignment= Jawad Ahmed, 8th October 2008
Introduction: There are a limited number of different features to investigate within this transcript. This is because of the acoustically challenging environment and the nature of the students involved, all new to role play in public. The conversation was initiated with a degree of reluctance the causation of which may be presumed to be shyness and uncertainty. It is evident later on, that certain topics can generate enthusiasm and animation. It should also be noted that the topic was reflected by female dominance.
Essay: The conversation began sporadically because of the inexperience of the students involved and an initial sense of self-consciousness that dissipated as the conversation gathered momentum. There is a good interaction between K, S and C the three females as they warm to the subject of false nails. Their dominance is reflected in the non-participation of A and T who are males.
In line 35 A is humorously provoking T by asking about his supposed false nails. T avoids this face-threatening act by commenting derogatorily about Asians whereby completely changing the subject of false nails. This embarrassment episode
is an example of Howard Giles, Grice et al theory of accommodation. In the following lines the theory of convergence is manifested by all the speakers who animatedly discuss “Sally” and the finer aspects of trans-sexual gender change. This is where mutual convergence occurs. There is very little simultaneous speech at this stage, only in line 20 when S and C comment on nail cosmetics
The politeness principle is evident by the lack of interruptions and simultaneous speech. The speakers are all unfamiliar with one another and positive politeness is portrayed by turn-taking and the inexperience of role play further accentuates the Hawthorne effect whereby the speakers are all aware of being listened to and observed. The aspects of non-verbal speech are exemplified only by laughter and awkward pauses which are portrayed in the transcription key. The non-fluency features are shown by the number of pauses and hesitations but this is acceptable when taking the circumstances and environment into consideration. It is after line 40 that the cooperative principle takes hold as all the speakers are trying to make a contribution.
I found that by taking on the beginning of the conversation that the transcription was easier as its flow had not really taken form and the awkwardness was apparent until the subject of “Sally” took hold after line 41. However it was more difficult to give a broad range of theories and maxims for the same reason.
