Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people.
- It is important to look at the nature of the speech and how it is represented.
- Look at the uses and conventions of dialogue
- The interpersonal nature and who is controlling the conversation.
The language used by an individual reflects their:
- ideology
- class/social status
- Power
In a dialogue we reveal:
- Attitudes (prejudices)
- Opinions (bias)
- thoughts (feelings)
- personality traits (ignorant, arrogant, egotistical, intellectual, comical…)
The unpredictability of the conversation arises because we don’t know how the listener will react. Personal preference and structural idiosyncrasies personalise speech patterns in an individual.
Register
Is a level of language. In order to communicate effectively there needs to be an awareness of the audience, and use a register appropriate for them. (Formal/informal – colloquial).
When we study dialogue we look at:
- The purpose: (what is being said and why?)
- How it is being said ( language techniques employed)
- To whom is it being said?
