| Discourse analysis has taken its appearance as an independent and young discipline since the mid 1960s and aroused worldwide interest and attention of thousands of linguists and social scholars in its early and flourishing stage of development. Linguists and scholars have put forward a wide range of theories concerning discourse and also have done a large number of researches in specific conversational types. However, limitations of those theories about discourse analysis gradually come into being along with the advance and maturity of this discipline. Fairclough (1992) points out that a major weak point of conversational analysis lies in its ignorance of participants'status and power in discourse communication. As a matter of fact, discourse participants may vary in language use in daily conversation due to their differences in social status, profession, education background and gender, which hence leads to their varied power over the other party.TV talk shows have gained rapid development all over the world within decades and enjoyed great popularity among ordinary people. Researches on the power relations between the host and the guests turn out not to be in great quantities but worth of consideration.Based on the theoretical framework of discourse analysis put forward by Sacks et al., the thesis firstly gives a brief introduction of relevant theories like discourse analysis, power and then makes an overall summary of related researches on TV talk shows both home and abroad. This study compares the power relations in Chinese and American TV talk shows between the show host and the show guests in terms of multiple perspectives like turn-taking, interruptions and overlaps, questions and male/female language. The study respectively selects ten episodes of Face to Face and Larry King Live as its data resource and employs both qualitative and quantitative analysis as research methods. Specific research questions are as follows:(1) How are the power relations between hosts and guests from turn-taking perspective by comparing Chinese and American TV talk shows? (2) How are the power relations between hosts and guests from the perspective of interruptions and overlaps by comparing Chinese and American TV talk shows?(3) Are there differences between hosts and guests in terms of raising questions by making a comparison between Chinese and American TV talk shows? Then following conclusions are drawn after detailed analysis:(1) Both Chinese and American show hosts can fulfill their duty as main organizers and topic controllers of the programs by exerting more power over their guests in initiating turns and terminating turns. The hosts can adopt various ways to avoid guests'deviation from the topic under discussion. On the contrary, the show guests mostly stand in the subordinate and passive position and act as the focus and story-teller of the show, therefore, the power those guests enjoy is within a certain limit.(2) Comparatively speaking, American TV host tends to have relatively more power than his Chinese counterpart by using more ways of interruptions and overlaps during communication. American guests also present their more active involvement in the discussion and more power than their Chinese counterparts in the way of conducting more interruptions. As a result, power relations are dynamic and cannot be absolutely held by one party--the show host in TV talk shows.(3) Based on the analysis of questions raised by both hosts and guests in the course of communication, the study finds that two show hosts put forward more standard questions on the whole so as to help control the flow of the program. It is also revealed in the study that American guests tend to be more active in bringing up questions and their positive participation makes it possible for the program to go ahead.This study aims to figure out similarities and differences between the two talk show programs and help to push the improvement of Chinese TV talk shows.
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