ECHOES

1
ECHOES ANSWERS
2

• The discourse hierarchy
• Exchange
• Exchanges procedures
• Responding
• Acknowledging a statement ? exercises
• Answering a question ? exercises
• Responding to requests ? exercises
• Responding to offers and invites
• Responding to apologies
• Responding to thanks

3
The discourse hierarchy

• Spoken interaction is structured in five levels
• Transaction
• Exchange
• Turn
• Move
• Act

4
An exchange is

• The smallest interactive unit consisting,
  minimally, of two turns produced by two different
  speakers.
• Ex A Have you brought my dress suit in - -
• B Yes but its still in the car.

• A turn is everything the current speaker says
  before the next speaker takes over.

5
Exchange procedures

• Opening
• Initiating
• Repairing
• Responding
• Re-opening
• Follow-up

6
Responding The response is Bs next
obligatory move in the exchange after As
initiate.
7
A response consists of

• Acknowledging a statement
• Answering a question
• Responding to requests

8
A response consists of

• Acknowledging a statement

9
Statement

• Statements supply information and expect to be
  acknowledged.
• A statement can
• Inform it presents neutral information
• usually it is a declarative with inform
  markers such as
• you know
• the fact is
• you see
• and a falling tone
• Ex A to tell you the fact Malcom I couldnt
  get
• the light.

10
Statement

• Opine it expresses the speaker personal
  opinion, feelings and attitudes
• usually it is a declarative with opine
  markers such as
• I feel
• I think
• and it is I that carries the tone.

11
Ackowledging a statement

• Acknowledge B accepts what A says as a valid
  contribution to the conversation.
• Acknowledging can inform and opine.
• When A informs B of something, B is expected to
  show that s/he received the message and an easy
  way to do it is using an acknowledge. This will
  allow B to answer without revealing approval or
  disapproval.
• The acknowledge may also show Bs attitude to
  what A said.

12

• Bs degree of involment can be reflected in the
  choise of lexical items.
• The use of backchannels is common. They are
  the smallest oral response to what the speaker
  says
• A he wants to get on with his Estonian
  aboriginal
• B m
• A I havent got any marks
• B oh
• A I have no news of Wessex at all
• B really

13

• Bs degree of involvement is expressed not only
  through the choice of lexical items, but also
  through the intonation.
• Often the acknowledge is followed by an expand,
  which is Bs comment on the information provided
  by A

14
Echoes

• When the answer repeats part of the question or
  statement, it is called an echo.
• An echo has two main functions
• Clarifying what A said
• Confirming what A said
• A distinction is possible mainly referring to the
  intonation.

15

• Echoes often occur in telephone calls to verify
  what the speaker said, and deal mostly with
  numbers
• A its a debit card number 1 3 5
• B 1 3 5

16
Acknowledging a statement

• Agree B approves what A means
• A the last train in the evening is the 2035
  
• arriving at 2335
• B yes ok thats good.

17

• When A provides information, B needs only to
  approve and let A go on. However one-word agree
  may be felt insufficient and some addition can
  occur.
• Often responses to opines reflect complete
  agreement.

18
Acknowledging a statement

• Object B does not agree with A
• A I always thought they got on well
• together both have strong wills
• B yes but milord . em strong-willed people
  have
• to take . one another for better or worse
  the
• same as people without strong wills
• Objecting requires politeness, that is why it is
  usually introduced by an uptake (act through
  which B accepts what A said and leads on).
  Uptakes like oh, well, yes have a
  shock-absorbing effect.

19
Aknowledgesahall rightI seeohokquitereally
rightgoodnessgoshoh dear

• Agrees
• absolutely
• all right
• fine
• good
• ok
• precisely
• quite
• right
• thats right
• yes (no)

• Objects
• oh but
• well but
• yes but
• no but

20
Exercisesacknowledge, agree, object, echo

• A theres the 733 from Birmingham New Street
  arriving
• at 9.05 in Euston
• B yeah
• A You are able to get the next available train
• B oh thats good
• A Theres no advance purchase tickets
  left,theyve now been
• booked up
• B right
• A theres no reason why it should be so
  surprising
• B well but they were surprised.
• A now you need to take your credit card with you
  and you need to
• quote this reference number
• B yeah
• A its 2 1 2 0
• B 2 1 2 0

21
A response consists of

• Answering a question.

22
Question

• Questions ask for information or confirmation
  and expect to be answered.
• Questions can be subclassified according to
  the answers they are asking for
• Identification questions
• Polarity questions
• Confirmation questions.

23

• Identification question it asks for an answer
  identifying a WH-word
• who, which, where, when ask for specification
• A which is the room next to it?
• B e the lecture seminar room.
• what, why, how usually do not have any
  restriction on the kind of information and how
  much of it can be expected
• A how did you get on at your interview . do
  tell us.
• B oh god what an experience I dont know
  where to start.
• The tone is falling, but when the question asks
  for clarification about the identification of
  somebody or something the tone is rising Who
  said this?

24

• An identification question can appear as an
  alternative question, which is an interrogative
  with two or more alternatives
• A should I come earlier or at four oclock
• B no you should come at four oclock
• So the actual question is when do you want me
  to come.
• The tone is rising on the first alternative and
  falling on the second one.

25

• Rhetorical questions can be confused with
  identification questions because they often begin
  with a WH-word
• A why should somebody move here. when he has to
  pay fifty thousand pounds or thirty thousand
  pounds for a house
• It does not require any answer.

26

• Polarity question it asks for yes/no answers
  usually it has an inverted word-order
• A are you available during daylight hours
• or do-periphrasis
• A do you know Malcolm Bowen over at the
• computer unit
• The tone is rising and the answer is open-ended
  because there is nothing that can say whether it
  will be yes or no.

27

• Polarity questions can be alternative questions
• A e if you were to buy a house that was big
  enough would you take any tenants or not
• Polarity questions can be described as curtailed
  alternative questions with only one alternative
  spelt out.

28

• Confirmation question it asks for a confirming
  answer.
• It is usually realized by a declarative
  utterance and a tag (arent you, dont you).
  What is to be confirmed is expressed in the
  declarative part, with a falling tone, the
  request for confirmation is in the tag (rising
  tone)
• A she had a rest . didnt she?

29
Answering a question

• Identification question
• A where have they moved now?
• B into Queen Street.
• Polar question
• A do you have a railcard at all?
• B erm no.
• Confirmation question
• A see you next week no doubt
• B yes Ill be in.

30
Answering a question subcategories

• Comply it gives adequate information explicitly
• A when is it?
• B four thirty tomorrow.
• Imply it gives adequate information implicitly
• A do you want people to come to the
• registry office?
• B not many.
• Supply it gives inadequate information
• this kind of answer is often introduced by
  well
• A was he a personal friend of yours or
• B em . well . e . he used to be my tutor

31
Answering a question subcategories

• Evade the speaker avoids answering (consciously)
• A em well have you got any other
• suggestions?
• B well he didnt give me any
• Disclaim the speaker declares that the answer is
  unknown
• A what happens if anybody breaks in and
  steals
• it are are is are we covered or
• B em I dont know quite honestly.

32
ExercisesComply, imply, supply, evade, disclaim.

• A god well when when do I have to book this by
  now?
• B well you have actually passed the booking
  deadline
• now.
• A and how many people are travelling?
• B one.
• A and when is it youre returning?
• B well it will be later that day but I dont
  know the
• precise time
• A what availability do you have er from Euston
  to
• Wilmslow?
• B Im just checking that for you
• A and when is it youre returning?
• B well I would like to come home about
  fiveish
• A the same day?
• B yes

33
A response consists of

• Responding to requests.

34
Requests

• Requests are directives because their
  illocutionary point consists in the fact that
  they are attempts by the speaker to get the
  hearer to do something.
• Requests for instructions
• information
• confirmation

35

• Request for instruction
• A and what date you'd like to travel out on
• B er Friday the ninth of October

36

• Request for information
• A is that got the the tea and coffee as
  well?
• B yes

37

• Request for confirmation
• A and confirm that address for me please
• B it's 15 2 54 street Road Camden Town
  London

38
Responding to requests

• Accept
• A and also could you get some cheese please?
• B Ill get some. Yes.
• Evade
• A could you see whats still to come fanny
  cos I think
• they . there are two performances of each
  one -
• B trouble is i dont regularly have a paper
  it doesnt get
• delivered so I sometimes buy one and
• Reject
• A is Mrs Davy there please?
• B sorry shes interviewing this morning

39
Exercisesaccept, evade, reject.

• A confirm that address for me please
• B yeah
• A and when is it time youre returning?
• B erm can I dont have to book a time on
  Sunday
• A do you have a current rail card?
• B erm Ive got a Network SouthEast card but
  erm
• A no not that
• A can we just confirm the times Im leaving?
• B 717 am from Birmingham New Street and
• leaving London Euston at 1035 am on
  Sunday

40
Responding to offers and invites

• Responding to apologies

• Responding to thanks

41
Responding to offers and invites

• Offers and invites are the opposites of requests
  as it is B and not A who benefits from the
  proposed action
• They can be accepted
• evaded
• rejected

42
Accepting A can I not get you a drink?
B yes you may thank you

• Evading A when are you coming to see us then?
• B em
• A can you get down before
  Dan has
• the baby?
• B I think we might manage it
  em-
• its e you know things
  
• are a bit hectic but em--

• Rejecting A what about a cigarette?
• B I wont have one thanks

43
Responding to apologies

• Responding to apologies is mainly a matter of
  being polite
• A sorry to bother you
• B no not a bit

44
Responding to thanks

• the way we respond to thanks is reflected by
  what we are thanking for, who we are addressing
  and in what situation.

45

• A female secretary to a university administrator
• A many thanks
• B right, bye.
• An agent to a female client
• A thanks very much
• B thank you.

46
THANK YOU