FEATURES OF SPOKEN ENGLISH

All the features have been compiled in the following diagram:

1- SPEECH ACTS --------------------------------------

e.g. thanking ('thank you', 'thanks', 'thank you very much indeed'); requesting ('I want/need…', 'could you…?' 'Would you mind…?'); apologising ('I'm sorry', 'I beg your pardon', 'I apologize')
2- TURN-TAKING (1):
TAKING THE TURN: -

STARTING UP: a hesitant start using of filled pauses (um), verbal fillers (well, I man, you know) or/and items such as 'obviously', 'actually'; a clean start using introductory devices or starters (such as 'well').

- TAKING OVER:

Subsequent turns may be connected by an 'uptake' (eg. 'yeah', 'oh', 'well', 'yes', 'no') or a link (eg. 'and', 'but', 'cos', 'so') whih is often triggered of by an 'appealer' in the previous speaker's turn (eg. 'you know').

- INTERRUPTING:

'alerts' ('hey', 'listen', 'look') and 'metacommets'('can I just tell…', 'can I say something about this', 'could I halt you there', 'may I halt you', 'let me just…') are discourse devices which serve as interruptors.

HOLDING THE TURN: To hold the turn means to carry on talking. Some devices help the speaker to play for time, avoiding a breakdown and take-over: filled pauses and/or verbal fillers, strategically placed silent pauses, repetition, a new start.

YIELDING THE TURN:
- PROMPTING:

Some discourse acts prompt the other party to respond, acting as turn-yielders. E.g. apology, greeting, invite, offer, question, request.

- APPEALING:

Turn-final 'appealers' serve as an explicit signal to the listener that some kind of feedback should be appropriate. They occur in separate tone units with a rising tone. E.g. question tags, all right, right, OK, you know, you see.

GIVING UP:

the speaker realizes that s/he has no more to say or that S/he thinks it is time the listener said something.

3- BACKCHANNELLING -----------------------------------------

e.g. um, ye, oh, I see, really, O.K., right, aha 4-

ADJACENCY PAIRS (2) e.g. greeting - greeting ---------------------------------- e.g. 'Hello' - 'Hello' congratulation - thanks ---------------------------- e.g. apology - acceptance ------------------------------ e.g. 'I'm sorry' - inform - acknowledge ------------------------------ e.g.leave-taking - leave-taking ------------------------ e.g. 'Bye' - 'Bye'

5- HEDGES --------------------------------------------------- e.g. sort of, kind of.

6- DISCOURSE MARKERS (3) ------------------------------- e.g. ok, now, so, well, actually, in fact, of course, anyway.

7- DOWNTONERS ---------------------------------------- e.g. just, please.

8- FILLERS OR THINKING DEVICES ---------------- e.g. you know, I think.

9- PAUSES (4) :

- FILLED PAUSES ------------------------------------------- e.g. er, erm, um.-

SILENT PAUSES

10- DISFLUENCIES (5) :
SPEAKER-EDITED:-

HESITATIONS (comprising repetition of segments, syllables, single and multiple words) ------------------------------ eg. 'Uh sh…shall I go…', 'I think we must we must try and…' -

SELF-CORRECTIONS --------------------------------- e.g. 'Yeah I definily definitely can'- FURTHER-DETAILING, SPECIFICATIONS --------------------- e.g. 'She was thinking Lizzie was thinking of coming but…'-

CHANGE OF PLAN ------------------------------------ e.g. 'No but actually you weren't supposed to you were advised not to drink…

'NON-SPEAKER EDITED:-

INCOMPLETE ITEMS -------------------------------- e.g. 'That is hilar hilarious'-

ERRORS ------------------------------------------- e.g. 'I didn't see too many much evidence…'