Transcript Analysis

 

Participants: Mille (M) and Ella (E).

Transcript analysis of a communication exercise.

The communication exercise took place in the school cafeteria at 2:30pm, in a fairly busy environment so background noise can be heard throughout the entirety of the recording (although the majority of this murmur is not written/recorded due to an unnecessary inclusion).

At [00:00 seconds] (M) begins to communicate with (E), immediately using informal jargon to communicate her point across. The colloquial use of “gonna” is expressed throughout the transcript creating imagery of an informal situation. The micro-pauses (.) and pauses (n*) throughout the transcript/recording let us know that the speech is not rehearsed but spontaneously thought of in order to make sense of what was trying to be communicated towards (E). (Although forms of micro-pauses are obligatory or completely necessary and numbered or timed pauses could be included to leave time to follow complex instructions given by the main speaker). Other forms of delayed expressions are also used, including the phrase “hang on” and continuous stalling by asking questions for clarification from (M) to (E) such as: “is that right?”; “Which side are you  doing?” and “on which side?”.  The paralinguistic tone of voice in these questions is significantly different to the rest of the sentences which don’t include questions. 

At [00:30] (M) begins to leave longer pauses between words. Giving her time to assess what she will say to (E). The sentence that (M) says is obviously  clearer to (E) this is shown when (E) replies with a short, one worded answer; “Okay”, to clarify to (M) that what she said was made clear.  After this communication the language between the two subjects becomes less clear, including more questions to and from (M) and (E) with a significant rise in the number of micro-pauses (.) included, with a maximum waiting time of (5)seconds. This long wait between words and at the end of sentences not only gives the impression that what (M) was trying to communicate was complicated or complex to both subjects but also that subject (E) needed time to assess and clarify what she was going to do post instruction. The clarification word that comes across strongest is the term “Right?//right.”   This shows the reader that the two participants have formed an unconscious “safe” word to communicate affectively.

At the end of the transcript the language begins to alter. Shifting dramatically from standard communication (back and forth) to a communication whereas participant (M) begins to [laugh] repeatedly throughout. This sudden outburst ends the communication exercise.