English Discourse and Pragmatics - Project 1: Data Collection and Transcription James Madison University

[This assignment will be graded.]

There are two steps to this project.

1. Collecting Conversational Data
   For this step, you will need a tape recorder, VCR, or camcorder. Let me know ASAP if this is a problem. Your task is to record a 5-7 minute segment of a specific type of spoken language -- a conversation between two (or at most three) adults. Tips for finding an appropriate conversation:
   1. It should be natural (ie., not scripted). This does not necessarily rule out taping something off the radio or television, but it must be REAL people, not characters in a story, and a media professional or other moderator can't be assigning turns and making sure there is not overlap and such. In other words, DON'T use a sitcom, the roundtable discussion on THIS WEEK, the posturing of professional wrestlers, a televised debate between presidential candidates, Judge Judy, and so on. Natural conversations have incomplete sentences, people finishing each others sentences, people talking over each other, ums and uhs and laughs and sighs, words cut off, etc...
   2. If you're taping a couple friends, don't suggest that you will be evaluating their language. (You'll end up with very UNnatural speech. :-)) Instead, you can simply let them know that you need a recording of human voices for your English seminar; you can also let them know that you won't use anyone's name in your classwork. It might help to suggest a topic that you know interests your volunteers: "The worst thing that could happen on a date", "The trade-off between resources for academics and resources for athletics at universities today", "uniforms in public high schools", "the five most essential stops on a trip around the world" ... or whatever. You need to get them having a CONVERSATION among themselves, not a question-answer session with you as the interviewer. Alternatively, you could just get permission to record throughout, say, dinnertime, and find a good stretch of conversation.
   3. If you are using a recording of volunteers, you might not want to use the first few minutes of the conversation, during which they will be getting used to being recorded.
   If at all possible, make a copy of your recording.




2. Transcribing the Conversation
   Your second task is to choose 5-7 minutes of the conversation you recorded(within that range, try to choose a reasonable stopping point - eg., definitely not in the middle of someone's sentence. :) ), and transcribe that segment using established conventions. In our 2/14 class, we agreed to use the transcription conventions from Pragmatics by Stephen Levinson (you have these conventions on the handout that says "Appendix: transcription conventions" near the bottom on one side), with the following adjustments/additions:
   • Where it says to mark pauses or gaps with (o.o), you may just use (-) rather than try to measure the exact amount of time.
   • Because there will be parentheses and double parentheses used for other purposes, instead of put uncertain passages of transcript in parentheses, put them in angle brackets - <>.
   • Number each line of your transcription along the left side of the page.
   • Put all speaker changes on new lines and label them (but assign letters; don't use real names.) For example, every time it becomes Speaker A's turn, start that line (after the numbering) with "A:", and don't put a speaker label on the next line if it is still A who is talking.
   
   

NOTE: Make sure you read and understand all the transcription conventions. They were discussed in class on 2/14, but you can email me or come to my office hours if you have any questions. Also, do not rush your transcribing. You will probably need to replay each bit of your recording several times.

WHAT YOU NEED TO TURN IN: Copies of both the taped conversation yo and your transcription.