Conversational Analysis Of Supportive Verbal Feedbacks In English TV Talk Show

Verbal feedbacks, according to Clancy et al.(1996), refer to "short utterances produced bythe interlocutor who play the role of listener during the speakership of the other interlocutor".Supportive verbal feedbacks normally will not disturb the speakership of the speaker, and donot claim the floor in the listener themselves. As a crucial part of successful conversations,supportive verbal feedbacks have gained great attentions from both linguists and non-linguistsat abroad and home. TV talk show is a typical face-to-face conversation which occurs in afixed setting, resembling many characteristics of the conversations naturally occurringeveryday. Since supportive verbal feedbacks are very important in the process of conversations,there contains much to research when locate in the setting of English TV talk shows.Based on Stubbe's (1998) theory about the definition and classifications of supportiveverbal feedbacks, the present study conducts a conversational analysis, by locating thesupportive verbal feedbacks in the special setting---English TV talk shows. With the help ofthe theories of conversational analysis and feedbacks, this study conducts a quantitative andqualitative analysis to research the forms, distribution features and pragmatic functions ofsupportive verbal feedbacks in English TV talk shows. The data used in this study are made upof20programs of an English TV talk show broadcasted on CCTV9---Crossover.According to the calculation and analysis of the collected data, main findings of the studycan be concluded as follows: Firstly, six forms of supportive verbal feedbacks occur in EnglishTV talk shows, that is, interjections, concrete words, phrases, sentences, repetitions andcomplements. In terms of amount and frequency, interjection ranks the first, in which"Mhmm" occupies a large proportion for its main pragmatic functions are listening andshowing agreement. Secondly, supportive verbal feedbacks in English TV talk shows mainlyoccur in two ways: at TRPs and at non-TRPs. Based on the quantitative analysis, in EnglishTV talk shows, supportive verbal feedbacks occur mostly at TRPs. Moreover, seven pragmaticfunctions are performed by supportive verbal feedbacks in the collected data: listening,reception, understanding, acknowledgement, agreement, evaluation and assistance, amongwhich listening and agreement are the most two frequently used functions of supportive verbalfeedbacks.This paper is expected to contribute to promote the acquisition and appropriate use ofsupportive verbal feedbacks and facilitate the appreciation and understanding of English TV talk shows. The findings of this study can hopefully shed some light on the further research ofsupportive verbal feedbacks.