Grammatical Analysis of Speech - Case Study Example

Grammatical Analysis Name University Course Tutor Date Grammatical Analysis PART A An audio-recording of an unrehearsed conversation between two fluent non-native speakers was done with the objective of transcribing and analyzing the piece. The two non-native speakers were known by the names Annie and Chris. This activity took place in a public discussion room located in Chris’s hometown. With respected to the context of the conversation, it was dominated by the analysis of an adventure journey two had participated in the previous day. It was noticeable that there was an alternation of the roles of receiver and speaker (between the two participants) as they narrated details of their experience of the adventure journey. Though a bit excited, the two participants remained jovial through the entire conversation as they told their story with an immense deal of enthusiasm. As the conversation began, the participants told about their preparations citing how nervous they were, as it was the first experience for each of them. It was observed that the two had previously hard of how tough such journeys could be with a significant number of participants not being able to go through them successfully. However, the conversation between Annie and Chris was dominated by events and occurrences in the course of the journey. In what seemed as the third phase of the conversation, the participants talked of what was expected of them after adventure journey. As it is the case with such events, participants ought to write a report describe all the happenings of the two-day activity. Principal features noted from the recording were inclusive of emphatic stress, vague language, indirect speech, elongated vowel sounds, and rising and falling tones. These characteristics present conversation norms were seen to be comprehensive to Annie and Chris. According to the transcription and analysis of the conversation, elongated vowel sounds dominated Annie’s and Chris’s story, with respect to frequency of phonological features. Through out the conversation, elongation in the pronunciation of vowel sounds was noted with this coinciding with the use of emphasis; ideally, the use of emphasis had the primary objective of bringing out dramatic effect. An example is found in the phrase “the first experience was /really scaring”-in this one, the initial vowel sound /i: / has an elongated pronunciation. The first vowel is also characteristic of rising stress, with the sound of the second vowel moving into an extra-short vowel sound which is /ə̌/. The speaker who used the phrase, “the first experience was /really scaring”, met the response “well” from the receiver. The open-mid front vowel was also characteristic of elongated pronunciation. At a high frequency, the speakers would present emotive and descriptive sound effects having close relationship with interjections. Ideally, there is no authoritative definition of interjections on functional and formal grounds. This has the implication that the categorization of certain utterances as interjections is normally on the grounds of the context in which they are being used. In this recording, the production of interjection sounds happened at final and medial positions of utterances. Ideally, a speaker would explain an event of the just concluded adventure but make of a choice of employing several non-lexical utterances with an objective of describing and reporting what could be termed as imagined or actual speech, thought from the conversation’s subjects, or emotion. Notably, the rise in tone and pitch accompanying the utterances of what (as an interrogative) has the capability of establishing a confusion attitude between Annie and Chris. A strong primary emphasis of the firstly voiced labial-velar approximant is employed in the delivery of the two utterances of what, before moving to an extra-short sound of vowel concluded with the use of a plosive. Annie: I looked aside and I jumped; /[ˈwɒ̆ht]and you jumped/[ˈwɒ̆ht] Notably, the subsequent non-lexical utterances are characteristic of rising tone and pitch to indicate semantic qualities of these utterances. The delivery of the initial interjection makes use of a tone rise and fall alongside the elongation f vowel sounds. Ideally, this indicated significant disapproval alongside further confusion between Annie and Chris with respect to the topic in which they are interaction. Annieie: and I jumped [ˆœːʌˑœː] It is worth noting that, the second non-lexical item in the conversation is characteristic of a pitch rise alongside an elongation in the sound of vowel having a fall-rise in tome; this demonstrates confusion in attitude characterized by limited agreement in order to suggest that the speaker in search of further clarification of the subject being discussed. Annieie: and you jumped [æ̂œ̌ː] A rise in pitch characterizes the third non-lexical interjection (which is also the final one) of the lengthy utterance; notably, a half-short vowel and falling tone characterize the end of this utterance. Annieie: and I went [æœ᷈ˑ] The final vowel sound is characteristic of a falling tone which is a demonstration of the end of communication. It also gives the signal that there has been enough comprehension between the interlocutors; in addition, it signifies that there has been resolution to the confusion that initially surrounded the discussion subject. In spite of the absence of normative and construct English features, these interjections are characteristic of prosodic features thus appearing to give the interlocutors semantic meaning irrespective of the absence of common or regular lexical identity. As asserted by Ward (2004), non-lexical utterances are characteristic of a central point that of language nature as system relating meanings and sounds. This has the implication that with the interjectional utterances’ medial positioning the speaker has the capability of code-switching between non-lexical and standard-English lexical items yet conveying dialogue with meaning, with no requirement for clarification ton receivers. The conversation between Annie and Chris is also characteristic of several issues of overlapping between the two participants. Notably, the coherence between Annie and Chris is not changed by the elongation of the overlap considering that their discussion does not ebb, alongside the absence of confused query’s interjections. For instance, the first fragmented syntax of Annie concludes with a falling tone, then a slight pause. Subsequently, Chris makes use of this cue to begin her conversation. Ideally, the first statement by Chris is a fragmented syntax considering that the overlaps made by Annie seem to be a continuation of her first train of dialogue and idea. Annie: Y’know(DM) I guess it was really good that it emerged an\; Chris:it was adventurous Annie: [hiked and had a took several activities with= Chris: [/yea:h for that hike and interact There are also several false starts with respect to the lengthy utterance by Chris before the launch of her seamless dialogue. It is quite interesting to note that, in the discourse of Chris, she shifts from standard-English utterances thus employing a verbal enactment characteristic of several effects of sound. There is a rapid sounds’ succession beginning as plosive, then subsequently moving to a lateral approximant, before concluding with a vowel sound which is front open-mid rounded: [b ́lœ ́blœ ́blœ]. Ideally, at this point, it emerges that the speaker chooses a descriptor of non-standard English, taking the form of several sounds, thus animating and dramatizing her experience of the adventure journey. There is a high probability of perceiving this locutionary as normative, considering the absence of query from the audience or interjection. Notably, the conversation between Annie and Chris is characteristic of segment and assimilation and deletion. The data by Chris were the most significant for assimilation as illustrated by the interrogative phrase: “do ya think we’re goin to make it”. Ideally, this utterance has do ya as the initial two words which are reduced and assimilated; these two words undergo blending thus forming the utterance [dʒə]; there is also dropping of the vowel of the word do alongside assimilation of the initial consonant in ya thus the reduction in articulation of the individual phenomena. Annie is heard providing an illustration for segment deletion with the sue of the word probly [ˈpɹɒ̆ˌbli]; in this case there is complete dropping of the last vowel /a/ as it is the case with the consonant /b/ ; in addition, the medial /o/ takes the form of half short back open vowel. Ideally, the recording of the conversation between Annie and Chris is a source of an immense deal of phonological and grammatical features. Notably, the non-standard lexical items inclusion, in interjections, appeared as the most noticeable characteristic in the recording; this was accompanied by the use of these items to describe the perception of each participant of the conversation. There was also significant use of tone variation and elongation of vowel sounds in the course of the entire conversation. The various features of language used in the conversation attempts to bring out, in cold print, the exact experience by Chris and Annie in the adventure journey. Normally, if one would listen to individuals explaining such an experience as an adventure journey, it will be possible to take note of all features analysed in this work. In other words, the features are used for actualization purposes with respect to all the happenings of the event. References Ward, N. (2004). Non-lexical conversational sounds in American English. Departmental Technical Reports (CS). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/cs_techrep/307/ PART B: Analysis of written work REGISTER Field: This article represents a critical piece with criticism on Australians who fail to pay their taxes thus making the country’s taxation system an unfair one; there are statements urging every Australian to participate in efforts to align the taxation system of the country. Tenor: Participants: the readership of the newspaper by the name “The Sydney Morning Herald” and the editorial’s writers make up the participants of this piece of work. Mood: The writing of the editorial makes use of a critical mood with the piece exhibiting an immense deal of persuasiveness Mode: The mode used for this piece is written text taking the form of online editorial. The layout is characteristic of a colour image of an unsatisfied member of treasury implying that the current state of the country’s system of taxation is not impressive. Indeed, the subtopic of the article has a strong modal verb: pay-as-you-go worker forks out more on tax than millionaires do. TRANSITIVITY Participants: the analysed piece of work has the writers of the editorial as part of the participants; the others are the readers of the newspaper by the name Sydney Morning Herald. The writers clearly come out as performers as a result of the mere fact that they provide the readers with information alongside their capability of writing the piece in a critical mood; this explains the reason why the article emerges to be quite persuasive to the reader. In the phrase “Australian Taxation Office”, the author of the article uses the world “Australian” as an adjective. With the use of this adjective, there is the development of the interpersonal connectedness idea thus the establishment of a link between the performers of the article and the government of Australia. Notably, the government of Australia act as the indirect addressees in this article. As an addressees’ notion, Australia is referred to on a number of occasions via the use of the proper noun “Australia”, alongside the adjective “Australian”. “Australia’s persuasive role” and “Australian Tax Advisors” :the authors of the articles use the referent as a common, relatable platform on which the writers of the article are capable of pacing themselves and their readers in attempts to enhance the degree of connectedness via the nouns’ repetition. Indeed, they enhance the idea that the people of Australia form a unified group which acts on a combination of shared ideas. In addition, the common group idea has been enhanced by the use of personal pronouns as the writers places themselves in the same category with editorial’s readers via the expression of their perceptions in active voice via a metal procedure. By the use of “WE”, the authors of the article are referring to the mental procedures and beliefs of the Herald being a clear indication of the fact that the writers have given the stance and the voice for the publication and news agency entirety. This is also a suggestion that the Herald is characteristic of humanistic features that can be termed as part of the unified group-Australians. Ideally, there cAnnieot be a proper combination of the verbs would and cAnnieot with WE (as a personal pronoun), alongside the completely inclusive noun “all” as a means of presenting one ultimate unified image of the mental procedures relied on by the authors of the article. Processes: The context of this piece seems to be relying on the combination of relational, mental, and material processes, alongside contrastive Conjunctionsto with the aim of establishing their stance. Ideally, throughout the article, the verb “mind” is being used to convey the mental processes with connection to relational Processes making use of the adverb “allows” as a means of highlighting the negative and emotional position against the main subjects of the article: “While most Australians don't mind paying tax”....... .“allows some people to avoid paying their fair share”. Notably, the article makes several and substantial assertions towards the intentions of the country’s millionaires that are characteristic of negative connotations: “Something looks awry when the average pay-as-you-go worker forks out more on tax than millionaires who, as it happens, owe much of their wealth to generous tax breaks”. There is use of epistemic modality in the article as a means of enhancing the assertions of the article’s principal subjects. By making use of “it will likely”; the article is conveying a message to the addressees-this regards the belief portrayed in the article that the issue on the taxation system of Australia is persistent thus a prediction of further flawed procedures by the country’s millionaires. Circumstances: The authors of the article express their belief that the evasion of tax poses an immense deal of challenge to the financial system of the country thus the argument that the government of Australia, led by the prime minister, ought to lead reformation acts on the country’s taxation system. The article makes use of contrastive conjunctions “Even though” and “Even” as a means of establishing a link between contrasting paragraphs and ideas in the piece of work. Ideally, the Herald holds the belief that Australia in conjunction with OECD ought to initiate reforms in the country’s finance system to ensure that the richest people in the country do not evade tax, while the common man continues to pay his tax on a regular basis. Ideally, it is worth noting that the authors of this article have explained their principal issues with an immense deal of criticism thus coming up with a critical article. Ideally, the current system of taxation in Australia does not have the interest of every citizen. Indeed, it apparently protects the millionaires of the country who ought to adhere to all taxation regulation in order to ensure that the economy of the country moves forward. The writers are consistent with the use of active voice using an immense deal of Processes and word classes in order to enhance their ideas thus influencing the readers to greater extent. This article was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/the-tax-system-everyone-must-pay-their-fair-share-20150430-1mwo5t.html Read More