LING3011 Conversation Analysis

Later Year Course

Offered By	School of Language Studies
Academic Career	Undergraduate
Course Subject	Linguistics
Offered in	First Semester, 2010 and First Semester, 2011
Unit Value	6 units
Course Description	How is conversation organised? How do we know when it is our turn to talk? How is talk managed so that only one person speaks at a time? Do you know the rules for starting a conversation? Are there any rules for closing a conversation? This course will seek to answer these questions by examining everyday talk and conversations. It will investigate how people organize their talk so that only one person talks at a time. It will look at the structure of interaction and examine how speakers move from one topic to another. This course is relevant for anyone interested in talk-in-interaction and in understanding how we use language within society.
Learning Outcomes	On satisfying the expectations of the course, you should be able to Collect examples of naturally-occurring everyday conversation. Transcribe examples of naturally-occurring everyday conversation, using conversation analysis transcription conventions. Explain, and argue for, the structural ‘rules' of everyday conversation e.g. rules for ensuring that only one person talks at a time, rules for opening and closing conversations, rules for determining what is a ‘turn at talk' and rules for determining the structural organisation of these turns at talk. Work in a group to analyse how conversations are structured. Think about, write and present an argument using conversation analysis.
Indicative Assessment	Assessment consists of a transcription assignment (10%), an analytic assignment (15%), a group online project (30%), and a final project (45%) due in the exam period. Passing of the course is conditional on students passing all assessment items.
Workload	This course has 3 contact hours per week (lectures and tutorials) held in a 3 hour block. In addition to the required contact hours (lectures and tutorials), it is expected that students will spend an additional 5-6 hours per week on this course.
Areas of Interest	Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Assumed Knowledge and Required Skills	This course introduces students to conversation analysis. Students are not required to complete any prior course before enrolling in this course.
Requisite Statement	There are no courses that must be taken prior to or concurrently with this course.
Prescribed Texts	Liddicoat, A. (2007) An Introduction to Conversation Analysis. Continuum. Psathas, G. (1995) Conversation Analysis: The Study of Talk in Interaction. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Preliminary Reading	ten Have, P. (2007) Doing Conversation Analysis, Sage Publications: London. 2nd Ed.
Indicative Reading List	Students will be given a full reading list at the beginning of the semester. Journals that publish conversation analysis research include, Research on Language and Social Interaction, Journal of Pragmatics, Human Studies, DIscourse & Society, Discourse Studies, Language in Society.
Technology Requirements	Other than normal internet access to Wattle, no special equipment is required to access materials to complete the course. Students will be instructed as to how to download (and use) computer software (freeware) called Audacity as this program is useful when transcribing data.
Majors/Specialisations	Applied Linguistics, International Communication, and Linguistics
Other Information	This course can be counted towards an Applied Linguistics, Linguistics major or International Communication major. This class is co-taught with postgraduate students LING6511.
Academic Contact	Dr Johanna Rendle-Short

The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.