2019年27期总第467期
语言文化研究
ENGLISH ON CAMPUS
A Study on Strategies of Turn-taking
in the Oprah Winfrey Show
文/胡艾敏
【Abstract】This study investigates the turn-taking phenomenon in the Oprah Winfrey Show. Its aim is to testify whether turn-taking model propod by Sacks, Schegloff & Jefferson (1974) can be applied to the TV talk shows. Sections of conversations between Oprah Winfrey Show and Michael Jackson in one program of the talk show are transcribed and analyzed in detail. The results indicate that the turn-taking models propod by Sacks et al. (1974) can be applied in the Oprah Winfrey Show.
【Key words】Oprah Winfrey Show; turn-taking; turn-taking strategies
【作者简介】胡艾敏(1986-)，女，四川南充人，川北医学院外国语言文化系助教，硕士，研究方向：语用学与认知语言学研究。
1. Introduction
The Oprah Winfrey Show (OWS), aired from 1986 to 2011, has remained the highest-ranked talk show in America. Due to its influence in American society and its nature of naturally occurring data, it will be of great help to analyze the turn-taking features of the talk show with the turn-taking theory propod by Sacks et al. (1974). As one of the main theories in the Conversation Analysis, the turn-taking theory is compod of three parts: turn-construction component; turn-taking rules; and turn-allocation mechanism, which in turn compri smaller parts which will be illustrated in the thesis. This paper intends to analyze one program of Oprah Winfrey Show in which Michael Jackson is the guest. It also intends to check whether the turn-taking model can be applied to the talk shows such as OWS.
2. Data collection
The sixty-minute video is downloaded from the internet and transcribed with the common conversation analysis system. Michael talks about his private life in this program. The reason of le
cting it is due to its popularity among the audience.
3. Data analysis
3.1 Turn- construction component
Turn-construction components are the basic units compod of a turn. They can be words as in T4 example (1), phras in T3 in example (1), claus in example (2), and ntences in T1 in example (1).
(1)T1O: Were your scared of him?
T2M: Very frightened. There’s been time when he came to e me and I would get sick. I started to ().
T3O: As a child or as an adult?
T4M: Both.
(2)T1M: There’s a lot of sadness (1.0) (of) my past life. Adolescence (1.0), my father, and all of tho things (0.2) just made me very very sad.
T2O: So he will tea you, make fun of you?
3.2 Turn-allocation mechanism
3.2.1 Selecting others as the next speaker When allocating a turn to the next speaker, one way is for the current speaker to lect the next speaker. For example: (5)T1O: So when you start to look at a piece of work or look at a piece of music, are you already thinking about how you are going to?
T2M: Sometimes. Yes, it’s very true.
In this video, it’s always Oprah who lects Michael as the next speaker, which is due to Oprah’s role as a hostess. Self-lection
Speakers may also lf-lect a turn as in T2 and T3 where Oprah and Michael lf-lect to speak respectively. (6) T1M: ... Plea don’t get mad at me. (2.0)
T2O: Well, I mean, I suppo that everybody has to take responsibility for what they’ve done in life, and (1.0) your father is one of tho people (.) who also have to take the responsibility.
T3M: I do love him, and I am forgiving.
Turn-control strategies
3.3.1 Turn-yielding
3.3.1.1 Nomination
The current speaker may nominate the next speaker. In this way, the topic is determined by the current speaker. E.g.: (7) T1M: So plea people stop believing [the horrifying story].
T2O: [Ok, Michael], let’s go to…
T2 by Oprah is nomination. In this video, this strategy is ldom ud which may be due to the number of guests- only Michael and a friend who stays for a few minutes. So, it’s needless for Oprah or Michael to nominate each other. 3.3.1.2 Self-lection with or without limited topic Most of the time, the current speaker will request or question other participants with or without a particular topic
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