Conversation Analysis: A Way to Identify the Components of Conversations Resulting In Better Teaching and Better Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to record, transcribe and analyse the language used in three different conversations on (a) an event where advice is sought in an academic setting, (b) a situation where two friends talk sharing some common troubles, and (c) a situation where compliments are given by children and elders. That is, to identify the utterances containing the functions, where the utterances containing the mentioned functions appear in the conversations, whether there are any devices used to give face to the interlocutor, identify the components of conversations and how the conversations differ from one another. The findings make the reseearcher think that if teacheres are capable of analysing conversations, they will the able to understand the nooks and crannies of the learners’ interactive talks and thus the understanding and relationships amonng teachers and students which will lead to better teaching and better learning.