Dispreferred Responses In English Talk Show Interaction:a Conversation Analytic Approach

English talk shows have attracted an increasingly larger group of audience due to their humorous and relaxing feature and these programs are not only entertaining but also information-oriented. Therefore, the smooth progression of host-guest interaction is very important for producers, guests, and the audience. However, the fact is that talk show interactants do not always construct their turns with collaborative efforts and the presence of dispreferred responses is not rare. In view of the research gap that few studies have systematically examined dispreference in naturally-occurring data from the perspectives of turn design, sequence organization, and pragmatic functions, this study analyzes dispreferred responses in talk show interaction with the conversation analytic approach.The data used for the analysis are collected from ten episodes of Conan, a popular English talk show. The grammatical forms which the dispreferred responses take are first examined at the levels of lexical items, phrases, and sentences. Then the off-record and on-record devices adopted for making dispreferred responses are dealt with, which is followed by the description of some sequence organizations of the dispreferred responses and the generalization of some practices of making dispreferred responses. Finally, some possible causes and pragmatic functions of the dispreferred responses are interpreted in light of the Politeness Principle and the management of face.It can be concluded that instead of being made arbitrarily, dispreferred responses could be delivered for lack of the relevant knowledge, out of the consideration of modesty, and so on. Besides, dispreferred responses are not definitely destructive to smooth communication and social relationships since they can save the interlocutors’face and create a humorous and intimate atmosphere.The study has theoretical and practical implications. As for the theoretical contribution, the analysis of dispreferred responses in talk show interaction can enrich the research on preference organization and provide new insights into conversational mechanisms. Moreover, the combination of the conversation analytic approach with pragmatic theories in this study serves as an attempt for future studies in the fields of conversation analysis and pragmatics. As for the practical value, the findings of this study can provide some inspiration for the planning of non-serious talk shows at home, since the employment of dispreferred responses may facilitate the creation of a humorous and intimate atmosphere.