The Use o f C o nve rsa tio n Ana lysis Da ta a s Authe ntic Inp ut*
Sa ri Hid a ya ti, M.A.
Yo g ya ka rta Sta te Unive rsity
sa ri_hid @ ya ho o .c o m/ sa ri_hid a ya ti@ uny.a c .id
This p a p e r a tte m p ts to
• sho w ho w na tura lly o c c uring ta lks a s C o nve rsa tio n Ana lysis (C A) d a ta c a n b e a d o p te d in se c o nd / fo re ig n la ng ua g e c la ssro o m s a s a uthe ntic le a rning m a te ria ls.
I. C o nve rsa tio n Ana lysis a nd Se c o nd La ng ua g e Le a rning C o nve rsa tio n Ana lysis:
• in its o rig in, w a s initia te d b y so c io lo g ists Sa c ks a nd Sc he g lo ff • se e n a s a so c io lo g ic a l ‘ na tura listic o b se rva tio na l d isc ip line
In its d e ve lo p m e nt, ta king se c o nd la ng ua g e
c la ssro o m s a s the se tting s, C A ha s ha d a g ro w ing
im p a c t o n
• stud ie s o f se c o nd la ng ua g e ta lk, c la ssro o m inte ra c tio n a nd se c o nd la ng ua g e le a rning (G a rd ne r, 2002), a nd
• the fie ld o f la ng ua g e le a rning a nd la ng ua g e te a c hing a s w e ll a s Ap p lie d Ling uistic s (Se e d ho use , 2005), suc h a s te a c hing
la ng ua g e s fo r sp e c ific p urp o se s, la ng ua g e te a c hing m a te ria ls d e sig n, la ng ua g e p ro fic ie nc y a sse ssm e nt, la ng ua g e
To e xp lo it C A d a ta fo r the le a rning a nd te a c hing in La ng ua g e fo r Sp e c ific Purp o se s c la ssro o m s, Ja c o b y (1998) sug g e sts the
fo llo w ing w a ys:
• First, C A d a ta c a n b e e xtra c te d fo r p e d a g o g ic a l c o nte nt a nd to info m le a rne rs o f c rite ria fo r c o m m unic a tive suc c e ss.
• Bring in d a ta sa m p le s to c la ss fo r the stud e nts to o b se rve , a na lyze a nd a p p re c ia te .
II. Wha t Do C o nve rsa tio n Ana lysis Da ta Info rm ?
A. O rg a niza tio n o f Se q ue nc e s
• g ro und s fo ra d ja c e nc y p a irs, w hic h a re ine vita b ly c o nne c te d to the
p re fe re nc e o rg a niza tio n syste m, suc h a s p re fe rre d re sp o nse , fo r e xa mp le a c c e p ting a n invita tio n, o r d isp re fe rre d re sp o nse , fo r e xa mp le d e c lining a n invita tio n.
• C A d a ta p ro vid e info rma tio n o n ho w a c o nve rsa tio n sho uld b e
o rg a nize d in a c c o rd a nc e w ith the so c ia l func tio ns.
• C A d a ta a re in p la c e to we ll p ic ture the g a p b e twe e n d ia lo g ue s
p re se nte d in te xtb o o ks a nd na tura lly o c c uring inte ra c tio ns.
Wo ng (2002) te le p ho ne d ia lo g ue s in te xtb o o ks d id no t re fle c t na tura lly o c c uring te le p ho ne d ia lo g ue s.
• C A-b a se d ma te ria ls e q uip le a rne rs w ith inte ra c tio na l skills, e .g .
C o nsid e r the fo llo wing tra nsc rip t
1. Pa ul : hi Ja n ho w a re yo u↓
2. Ja n : g ’ d a y Pa ul↓ I’ m g o o d↑
3. Ja n : g e e it wa s c o ld this m o rning tho ug h, wa sn’ t it↓
4. Ja n : it wa s re a lly ha rd g e tting o ut o f b e d↓
5. Pa ul : it c e rta inly wa s↓ I re a lly d id n’ t wa nt to g e t o ut o f b e d a nd to 6. Pa ul : wo rk↓
7. Ja n : no : still it is Frid a y↓
8. Pa ul : I kno w isn’ t it g re a t↑
9. Ja n : [ye a h↓
10. Pa ul: [a nd it’ s sup p o se d to b e g o o d o n the we e ke nd↑ the we a the r↑
11. Ja n : ye a h↑ b a rb e q ue we a the r↑ thirty d e g re e s_ 12. Pa ul: fa nta stic
13. Ja n : ye a h, g re a t↓
So m e re so urc e s o f a d ja c e nc y p a irs o f, a m o ng o the rs,
re sp o nse to ke ns:
• ‘ I’ m g o o d ’ (line 2) m a d e a s the re sp o nse to ‘ ho w a re yo u’ ,
• ‘ it c e rta inly w a s’ (line 5) a s the re sp o nse to utte ra nc e m a d e b y Ja n in line 3 a nd 4, a nd
• ‘ g ’ d a y Pa ul’ in line 2 kno w le d g e o f so c io c ultura l no rm
B. Re a l life la ng ua g e
• C A d a ta a re ta ke n fro m re a l life c o nve rsa tio ns in a uthe ntic situa tio ns the d a ta c o nta in la ng ua g e s use d in re a l life situa tio ns.
• Em p lo ying C A d a ta in c la ssro o m w ill the n b e ne fit le a rne rs in tha t the y w ill b e e xp o se d to a uthe ntic la ng ua g e s use d in ta rg e t situa tio ns.
• Im p o rta nt to no te tha t Q uinte n’ s use s o f g a p fille rs a p p a re ntly a ssist him in se a rc hing fo r id e a s a nd thus fo rm ula ting his
utte ra nc e , a s se e n fo r insta nc e in the use o f ’ I d o n’ t kno w ’ (line s 7-8,14-15) a nd ‘ so ’ (line s 14, 19).
