Week 5

Activity one

In regards to greeting people, it really just depends on who the person is. If it is someone I've never met before, I will usually say something like "hi, nice to meet you" or "hi, how are you?" If it is someone I know very well, I will usually just say a simple "hey" and then begin my conversation with them. My tone of voice also depends on the person. If I'm unfamiliar with the person, I will talk in my normal and professional voice. However, if I know the person very well, I will sometimes talk in a funny and silly voice to joke around with them. My own talking voice also differs in regards to saying goodbye. If the person is unfamiliar, I will say something along the lines of "It was very nice to meet/see you. I have to go now though. Cya later". If the person is well known to me I will say "I gotta go now, I will text you/talk to you later. Cya". My language simplifies a bit when I talk to someone I know well as opposed to someone I'm unfamiliar with. This is because I am more comfortable with them and know how I can speak around them.

Source: Animal fair, 2013

I really hate uncomfortable moments with people and especially, awkward silences. If I'm feeling uncomfortable around someone, I will either wrap up the conversation and say I have to go, or I will try my best to keep the conversation going. Sometimes, if I feel really uncomfortable, I will resort to my phone and pretend to text someone. This makes me look busy and makes me feel less uncomfortable. I will only do that however if I am in a group of people, otherwise it will come across rude. One thing I realised I do when I am nervous or in an uncomfortable moment, is that I will laugh nervously at what the other person says! It is such a bad habit and sometimes the statement that was said was a serious subject and not humorous at all. Awkward!

Activity two

Entertainment interview

Institutional talk, according to Drew & Heritage (1992) is that in which a person's institutional or professional identities are made relevant to the work activities in which they are involved in. Media interviews are seen everywhere, whether it be on television or on radio. These interviews use institutional talk. Ames (2016) explains that news interviewers ask certain questions to cause particular types of answers (those that will make the news). Therefore, news interviews are different to an entertainment interview because they are aiming for diverse responses. The first interview is an entertainment interview. The two interviewers are from a talk show and are interviewing Daisy Ridley who is the main character in the new Star Wars film. They introduced Ridley by stating that Star Wars comes out next week and this will be her debut film. Ridley then comes out to many cheers and applause. There are a lot of jokes and banter being said between the interviewer and interviewee. There is also a very laid back and casual interview style. The questions that were asked revolved around Ridley's first day on set and what it was like. They also asked questions to do with what her character was like. Apart from asking questions about the new film and the character of Rey, the interviewers complimented Ridley on her new tattoos and how famous she will be. The interview concluded with the interviewers thanking her for coming in and reminding everyone that the film comes out next week. The interview ends with the crowd cheering and applauding. 

Source: Wood, S 2015

News interview

The second interview is a news interview and is on a much more serious note. The news story is about a woman attacking an uber driver. The woman actually comes in to be interviewed about her actions. The interviewer introduces the woman by showing the video of what happened and describing the attack. He then proceeds to tell the audience that they have the woman in the studio today. The camera then pans on her. The questions that were asked revolved around the incident and what the woman thought of it now, as she looks back at the video. The interviewee said that it wasn't like her and that she was having a bad day. The interviewer then goes onto state that it's not an excuse. The interviewee fully agrees and says that she has taken full responsibility for her actions and has apologised to the uber driver. There is absolutely no humour in this video and is certainly not produced for entertainment. The potential for conflict was managed by the interviewee blaming herself for the incident and taking full responsibility for her actions. She wasn't offended by the interviewers questions at all and answered questions as respectfully as she could. The interview concluded with the interviewer saying that it's not easy to admit our mistakes and he also then thanked her for coming in. 

The main differences in the interviews is that the entertainment piece was purely designed for entertainment. Therefore, it is appropriate to have humour and small talk between the interviewers and interviewees. The news interview was on a much more serious and formal note and would be inappropriate to have banter and humour between the two people. The crowd was also a big difference. It would be unsuitable to have a crowd applaud the woman who attacked the Uber Driver. However, it is very appropriate to have the crowd applaud Daisy Ridley for her wonderful job in the film. Overall, it is very important to ask certain questions and have different kinds of institutional talk for different situations. 

Activity three

Through analysing Interection en Masse, it is evident that there are various key points that can be used in effective speech writing. In the first paragraph, one of the first important points the author has stated is that political speeches are far from ordinary discussion, and is also aloof from doctor to patient communication and presidential press conferences. This implies that political speeches are somewhat a little bit complex. Another important point which is stressed strongly by Atkinson (2005) is that eye contact is essential in order to speak effectively in public. Receiving applause from the audience is an important factor in the overall speech. It proves that the audience understood the message and also enjoyed it (Susman, 1997). The authors have developed various points that can be included into a speech and that also invites applause from the audience. These are known as formats for inviting applause. 

The first point from formats for inviting applause is contrast. Contrast is a rhetorical device used and is an important aspect of the speech. This is because it gives the audience extra time to set up for a reaction while they are waiting for other audience members to be doing the same. There are various types of contrast and these include:

• Contradictions
• Opposites
• Comparisons
• Phrase reversals

The second point from formats for inviting applause is lists. Lists provide the kind of emphasis and projectability needed to allow audiences to react. The important point about lists is that they tend to include three parts both in ordinary talk and in speeches. The different types of lists are:

• Three identical words
• Three different words
• Three sentences
• Three phrases

Puzzle solution is the third format of speech and is where the speaker excites the audience by giving them a problem or a puzzle. Then the speaker will deliver the point as the solution to it. By doing this, the speaker emphasises the point while also giving the audience a warning that an applaudable point is coming. As a result, this invites applause at the first possible point from when the solution emerges. This format offers chances to combine humour with a political message and also generates laughter, along with an applause. The last format is combinations which is a mixture of contrasts, lists and puzzle solutions. The author also discusses that not every contrast or list has the desired effect. Sometimes the speaker will not receive the applause they want. Sometimes politicians will re-do the formats in order to have a second chance at applause. From this research, it is evident that there are many formats that can be incorporated into speech writing to increase the potential for its effectiveness.

Source: Vognetwork, 2012

References:

ABC News 2016, Uber attack caught on camera, doctor speaks out, exclusive interview, video, viewed 5 April 2016,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPOpYGIAwYg

Ames, K 2016, Study guide lesson 5 - institutional talk, course notes, COMM12033: Speech and Script, CQUniversity e-courses. 

Animal fair 2013, dog greeting people, digital image, viewed 3 April 2016,  http://animalfair.com/dog-greeting-people-greeting-funny/


Atkinson, J 2005, Lend me your ear, New York, Oxford University Press.

Drew, P & Heritage, J 1992, Talk at work: Interaction in institutional settings, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 

Susman, K 1997, 'Six key indicators guaranteed to reduce audience stress and increase your applause', Records Management Quarterly, vol. 31, issue 3, p. 18. 

The Entertainment Place 2015, Daisy Ridley talks 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' on Live! With Kelly and Michael, video, viewed 5 April 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKBQ8a_WJvs


Vognetwork 2012, futurama applause, digital image, viewed 5 April 2016, http://www.vognetwork.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=22


Wood, S 2015, Star Wars Force Awakens poster, digital image, viewed 5 April 2016, http://www.adweek.com/prnewser/star-wars-the-force-awakens-poster-caused-a-disturbance-in-the-force/118644