Conversation Analysis
An Introduction
Language in Society
1. Edition April 2010
296 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Combining the main findings, methods and analytic techniques of
this central approach to language and social interaction, along
with real-life examples and step-by-step explanations,
Conversation Analysis is the ideal student guide to the
field.
* Introduces the main findings, methods and analytic techniques
of conversation analysis (CA) - a growing interdisciplinary
field exploring language and social interaction
* Provides an engaging historical overview of the field, along
with detailed coverage of the key findings in each area of CA and a
guide to current research
* Examines the way talk is composed, and how conversation
structures highlight aspects of human behavior
* Focuses on the most important domains of organization in
conversation, including turn-taking, action sequencing, repair,
stories, openings and closings, and the effect of context
* Includes real-life examples and step-by-step explanations,
making it an ideal guide for students navigating this growing
field
2. Methods in Conversation Analysis.
3. Taking Turns.
4. Action and Understanding.
5. Preference.
6. Sequence.
7. Repair.
8. Turn construction and design.
9. Stories.
10. Openings and Closings.
11. Topic.
12. Context.
13. Conclusion.
REFERENCES.
Analysis: An Introduction . . . n its own terms, I
particularly liked the straightforward, accessible style that
Sidnell uses to discuss complex ideas and materials."
(Journal of Sociolinguistics, 1 February 2013)
"To conclude, this introduction is a rich source of
authentic examples and will serve interested students and scholars
very well." (Discourse and Communication, 1
November 2012)
"The book is overall an excellent introductory text for the
undergraduate level ... On the whole, the book provides a good
foundation for a student entering the field, with the main concepts
and questions of CA discussed in an informal and engaging way."
(Discourse Studies, 2011)
"The interdisciplinary research method and field of conversation
analysis (CA) is remarkably well-suited to helping teachers achieve
this objective, because CA provides tools that enable first the
perception, and then the scientific description and analysis of
regular patterns of human social conduct - patterns that organize,
and make meaningful, the world of everyday life." (Language in
Society, 2011)
"This book is an excellent text to introduce students to
conversation analysis, situating it historically and with reference
to other approaches to human language behavior. Sidnell uses
insightful explanations of examples of spoken interactions to
present a comprehensive and well-integrated overview of concepts
and methods in the field."
--Elaine Vine, Victoria University of Wellington
"This is a comprehensive, authoritative yet accessible
introduction to Conversation Analysis. Sidnell captures so well
both the analytic mentality of CA, and the complexity and sheer
contingency of ordinary conversation."
--Paul Drew, University of York
