A CONVERSATIONAL ANALYSIS OF SOME SELECTED POLITICAL

INTERVIEWS

A PROJECT PROPOSAL

SUBMITTED BY

ABRAHAM EMMANUEL ONOME

158208184

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES

EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY, ADO-EKITI

EKITI STATE, NIGERIA.

AUGUST, 2019.
 TABLE OF CONTENT

Background to the Study

Statement of Problem

Aim and Objectives

Research Questions

Theoretical Framework

Research Methodology

Conclusion

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BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Language is one of the veritable tools that human beings possess. This all-important tool
enables humans to share ideas, thoughts, feelings, and wishes with one another. Language in
all its essence is abstract or immaterial. Language is one of the most important forms of
human behaviour. The purpose of language is communication, which means that language
helps a person to formulate his or her thoughts and encode it for the benefit of others (readers
and listeners) to decode it. Language is also seen as a formal system of signs governed by
grammatical rules that has been combined to communicate meaning.

Communication is very vital in human life, because we use it to persuade, influence

relationships and to inform. According to Oyinloye(2007) communication is “ the process of
transmitting and receiving ideas, information and messages”. To him, it is any process in
which people share intentions. He further asserts that information involves the spoken and the
written words as well as body language.

Conversation is basically a talk, especially an informal one between two or more people, in
which news, ideas and information about a particular issue or situation are exchanged. It is
also an interactive communication between two or more people. For any conversation to be
an effective or successful one there must be a shared understanding between the speakers.
Alternatively, there can also be information that the speakers are familiar with.
Conversational analysis comes to light when conversations are to analysed

In Conversational Analysis, its domain is concerned with everyday interaction. For

example, in a church, the researcher uses the conversational interaction between the pastor
and his members. This conversational interaction would be used when the pastor starts by
giving an instruction and the members adhere to it. Sometimes, the pastor might do a call and
response activity or a question and answer activity. The actions being performed can be
attributed to conversational interaction. It could also be an interaction between the
interviewer and the interviewee.

Amanpour is a global affairs interview television program hosted by Christiane Amanpour.

The program is aired on CNN. Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily is a daily program that
interviews important individuals. Sunrise Daily is anchored by Chamberlain Usoh, Maupe
Ogun, Gimba Umar and Nneotaobase Egbe.

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STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Based on other researches that account for the flouting or violations of Grice’s
maxims, thus, this research focuses on the observance and violation of these maxims.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The researcher intends to achieve the following:

i. To classify each utterance into their various maxim.

ii. To analyse each utterance in the conversation.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In order for this research work to stay on track and not lose direction, the following questions
are proposed:

i. What kinds of maxims were violated and observed?

ii. What are the implied meanings of the violated maxim(s).

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This research is based on Grice’s maxims. The maxims according to Grice are quality,
quantity, relation and manner.

The Maxims
Quantity: Make your contribution as informative as is required
Do not make your contribution more informative than is required
Quality: Do not say what you believe to be false
Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence
Relation: Be relevant
Manner: Avoid obscurity of expression
Avoid ambiguity
Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity)
Be orderly

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The researcher in this study employs a qualitative research. In order to get the data, the
researcher makes use of a purposive random sampling technique, in which two interviews are
being selected to suit the research. The researcher also uses a transcription method.

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CONCLUSION

This study intends to analyse the various structures of utterances in the selected interviews so
that people can understand what the speakers mean by certain utterances. C.A in all its
entirety serves as the basis for an effective conversational process.

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REFERENCE

Dr. Panneer S.K, Dr Balakrishnan V (2016). Application of Language and Teaching. New
Delhi, India: Random Publication

Grice, H.P. (1975). ‘Logic and conversation’ In Cole, P. & Morgan, J. (eds.) Syntax and
Semantics, Volume 3. New York: Academic Press. pp. 41-58.

Oyinloye G.O (2007). Fundamentals of Effective Communication in English. Ikeja,

Lagos:Premier Publish.