Streetcar theories

Beatties speaker switch

Butting- in interruption: Where speech is not exchanged and simultaneous speech is present

Simple interruption: The exchange of speech, the first speakers sentence remains unfinished

Overlap: Exchanges speech, and simultaneous speech present, but the first speaker reaches verbal completion

Smooth speaker switch: An exchange of speech, no simultaneous speech, each speaker reaches verbal completion

Grice's maxims

Goffman's facework theory: 1955

Politeness theory, Brown and Levinson 1987

Maxim of manner: Speech that is brief, orderly, organised, and concise.




Maxim of quality: Speech that is true and accurate

Maxim of relation: Speech is relevant to the conversation

Maxim of quantity: Not saying too much or too little in relation to the conversation

Protecting negative face: If you want to be co-operative, hedging, avoiding insulting

Protect positive face: Being kind, flattery, assumption of agreement

Face threatening act: to insult someone

Positive politeness: Seen in groups of friends/ familiar relations. Hedging opinion, avoiding disagreement and assume agreement, attend to listener

Negative politeness: The assumption that you're imposing on the hearer, and intruding on their space. Forgiveness

Bald off record: Removing yourself from any imposition or blame. Give hints, be vague, be sarcastic or make jokes.

Bald on record: These provide no effort to not insult someone. To shock, embarrass, or because the speakers are close

Accommodation theory, Howard
and Giles 1971

Divergence: Purposefully moving your language away from the person you're talking to, creating distance. Language can be moved upwards or downwards

Convergane: Adjusting your register/language to match someone else. Language can be moved upwards, downwards or mutual

Speech acts, Austin 1962

Perlocutionary - the effect the speech has on the reader

Locutionary - the performance of the speech, the basic meaning of whats been said

Illocutionary - the intended meaning of whats been said

Speech acts, Searle 1975

Directives: Commands, requests or advice such as 'Don't forget to do your homework'

Commissives: Cause the speaker to commit to doing something such as 'I will go to work'

Assertives: a statement such as 'I'm getting married'

Expressive: Shows the speakers emotions and attitudes such as 'I'm really sorry that I missed your birthday'

Declaratives: Change the reality of the situation such as pronouncing someone husband and wife

Barbara Korte's body language 1997

Proxemics: proximity, closeness to other characters

Haptics: touch

Kinesics: gestures, posture, facial expressions