Analysing cinematic discourse using conversation analysis

Abstract

The following paper examines how a conversation analysis (CA) approach to the investigation of spoken dialogue can be applied to analysis of the verbal and non-verbal (prosodic and paralinguistic) features of film discourse. In doing so, we wish to make a valuable contribution to the debate in the field between ‘pure’ (see Schegloff, 1988; Emmison, 1993) and ‘applied’ CA scholars (e.g. ten Have, 2007). Researchers belonging to the former grouping argue that CA should only be used to investigate naturally occurring language use (i.e. spontaneous language use), while those who position themselves as ‘applied’ CA scholars maintain that it is an approach that can be applied to institutional and ..