Conversation Analysis Of Oprah Winfrey Show

This thesis intends to probe into the features which characterize the conversation organization of Oprah Winfrey show by adopting the method of conversation analysis.In talk show conversation, the control of the next turn by nomination, question, request, is frequent in the host-guest conversation. The first pair parts in adjacency pairs belong to the host; the guests, however, are only entitled to have the second pair parts. This is pre-allocation by the host.Talk show conversation adopts a leisure style. Overlapping frequently occurs in the conversation, which is demonstrated in the following three aspects: first, a speaker misjudges the completion of the current speaker's utterances; second, two or more guests attempt to answer a question raised by the host; third, the host asks questions or expresses his/her opinions concerning the guest's statements.In addition, talk show program is a kind of multi-party conversation. The host together with guests may develop a collaborative floor open to all the participants simultaneously. In the collaborative floor, the frequently occurring laughter, applause and minimal responses also take their turns at transition relevance places. With regard to the overall organization of talk show program, it has habitual ways in its opening, proceeding and closing relevant to certain exchange structures.This thesis is a tentative study on the sequential organization of talk show program conversation. The author hopes that the attempt will be of much value both in the field of conversation analysis and in talk show programs.