Linguistic Consciousness: Situation

Josephine Chen
LLED 489C, UBC
Friday, July 20th 2012

Languages are as important as oxygen to human being. They play a big role in our
daily lives, but we are so used to its presence and usage that we are unaware of it.
Conversation carries out in different occasions. It is amazing how we have the ability to
pick the appropriate conversation content and to present ourselves in the right manner
instantly. So does the talk seem to vary according to situation? Why? After recording a
part of conversation I had with 4 friends (Johnny, Michelle, Robin and Steven) and
transcribed it below, my linguistic consciousness is raised. I would like to discuss how
situations vary.
I made the recording when we were waiting for our meals at the restaurant. I had
mentioned my assignment/ recording to a few of them at the badminton court, but I didnt
notify them when I was actually recording. I wanted the conversation to be as authentic
as possible. Johnny, who was sitting next to me, found out that I was recording. The fact
of knowing that the recording was going on effected our involvement at the beginning of
the conversation. The actual recording is about 5 minutes long and I transcribed 2
minutes of it starting at 1:47. Since I started the recording in the middle of a conversation,
the first bit didnt make much sense in term of the content and it wasnt authentic because
both Johnny and I didnt talk much. Although I didnt transcribe the first bit, I listed the
order of who was talking. By comparing to the later part of the conversation, it is obvious
that Johnny and I were participating way more after we got over the fact that the
recording was taking place. We managed to ignore it.
The conversation took place in a restaurant. Among the 5 participants in the
conversation, 4 of us were high school friends. We have known each other for over 10
years. Therefore, we share the same memories and experiences as we have kept in touch
throughout the years. The 5th person, Steven, is Johnnys colleague. Apart from Johnny,
the rest of us have known Steven for about a year. The couple of us always play
badminton together on Mondays and we have late dinner afterward. There are a couple of
unique characteristics we all possess: we are all immigrants from Taiwan, we were
educated in Lower Mainland in our high school years, our age are similar and we all

speak Mandarin and English. With all these qualities, our conversation was mainly
conducted in Mandarin with couple of English words mixed in it.
Due to the above sociological aspect, I have observed that there were a lot of
overlapping, cutting each other off and finishing each others sentences. For instance,
Steven ordered grape champagne slush. Johnny and I were questioning whether there was
champagne in it.
Michelle: It is not, its not its not real champagne its just
Robin: the grape used to make champagne (pause) mainly grape its mainly grape.
Michelle:
yes yes yes (pause) its (pause) containing sparkling .
In the water or something~ yeah~
Johnny:
but I havent heard of it.
Josephine: oh~ ok ok its (pause) pop
Steven:
Pop! (pause) A prettier way of calling it is grape champagne.
The situation would surely be different if it were a conversation between two friends
instead of five. It is easier to take turns talking between 2 people because we can pick up
the hint of the other person finishing the sentence or closing up a thought, where as in a
group conversation, there is no way to get your voice heard unless you proactively use
the above ways to get involved in a conversation. The second reason that overlapping,
cutting and finishing peoples sentence took place is due to the proximity of our
relationship. If we were in a different environment where its not a casual setting and we
werent that close in our relationship, the nature of the talk would have varied.
Looking into the syntax of our interaction, unlike interviews or lectures, the
conversation is filled with phrases. Although there are very few full sentences, we can
understand each other perfectly well. Also, individuals tend to whisper comments here
and there. I believe the whispering was to prevent interruption, while being able to
express their opinion. Last but not least, there were repetitions to emphasize or to agree.
Michelle:
My mom would ask me the night beforewhat do you want for breakfast
tomorrow? I would order this.
(pause)
Yup
Steven:
Breakfast in Taiwan is so good! (Whispering in the background)
Johnny:
I want alcohol (referring to grape champagne) lol

Robin: When I go back to Taiwan, I would bring breakfast to Kareoketo sing (break
out in laughter)
Johnny:
What? Bring what?
Josephine: Hahaha~ You go that early?
Michelle: Hahaha~ You go that early?
The nature of the interaction, the syntax and the content would have been very different if
the sociological aspect had changed a little bit. For instance, if we had the company of a
non-mandarin speaker, the unique characteristics we share would be disturbed resulting
in a change of language (including syntax), content and flow.
Situation definitely determine a lot in a conversation. Every bit of change in
sociological aspect (number of participants, age group, rank, roles, physical situation,
relationship, identity, characteristicsetc.) affects how the talk goes. It is rather
interesting to possess linguistic consciousness and to see infinite possibilities.

_______________________________________________________________________

Transcript

0:00 to 1:47

Steven
Michelle
Steven
Michelle
Steven
Waitress:
Michelle
Jo:
Michelle:
Robin:
Johnny:

(2 conversations broke out. One between Steven and Michelle and the other Johnny, Robin
and I.)

Michelle
Steven
Michelle
Steven
Michelle
Steven
Michelle
Steven

1:47 to 3:57

Johnny:

Johnny
Jo
Johnny
Robin
Jo
Johnny

Steven/ Michelle:
Michelle:
Johnny: !
Josephine:
Michelle:
Johnny: Oh~~~
Josephine:

Oh ~~~

Michelle: (pause) ~

Steven:

(background whispering)

Johnny: ha ha Ha ha ha ~
Michelle:
Robin: (pause)
Michelle:

(pause) (pause) sparkling

water or something~ yeah~

Johnny:

Josephine: oh~ ok ok (pause)

Steven:

(pause)

Michelle:

Johnny:
Michelle:

(pause)

Steven:

(whispering in the background)

Johnny:

Ha ha

Robin: Kareoke (break out in laughter)

Johnny:

Josephine: Hahaha~
Michelle: Hahaha~

Robin: Benson .
Michelle:

(whispering in the background)

Robin: . Haha .
Josephine: Haha ~
Johnny:

Kareoke.

(pause)

Robin:
Josephine:
Robin:
Johnny:

Oh~

Robin:
Robin: yeah . Oh~ . eh

Josephine:

ha ha

Robin:

oh~ ~ ha ha ha

Josephine:
Johnny:

Michelle:

Josephine:

Robin:

Josephine:
Robin: Oh buffet
Johnny:

Josephine:

part of

Robin:

Part of. package

Johnny: (mumbling in the background)