Features of Spoken Discourse in Informal Texts

In VCE English Language, informal spoken discourse is characterized by its spontaneous, unrehearsed, and socially-driven nature. Unlike formal written texts, informal speech is often produced “on the fly,” leading to specific linguistic features that facilitate cooperation, build rapport, and manage the flow of information.

1. Non-Fluency Features

Non-fluency features are the “hiccups” of spontaneous speech. They occur because the speaker is planning their utterance at the same time they are producing it.

• Pauses: Breaks in the flow of speech. They can be silent pauses (notated as (.) for micro-pauses or (2.0) for timed pauses) used for emphasis or breath.
• Voiced Hesitations (Fillers): Words or sounds used to bridge gaps in speech and signal that the speaker is not finished (e.g., um, ah, er). They help a speaker hold the floor.
• False Starts: When a speaker begins an utterance, stops, and starts again (e.g., “I went— we went to the shops”).
• Repairs: When a speaker corrects themselves mid-utterance (e.g., “He was twenty— I mean, twenty-one”).
• Repetitions: Repeating words or phrases while the brain processes the next part of the sentence (e.g., “I I I don’t know”).

COMMON MISTAKE: Do not describe non-fluency features as “errors” or “bad English.” In an informal context, they are functional tools that allow for real-time processing and signal to the listener that the speaker is still thinking.

2. Prosodic Features

Prosodic features are the vocal qualities that accompany speech. They are essential for conveying emotion, sarcasm, and emphasis, which are often central to informal interactions.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Prosodic features provide the “emotional layer” of informal speech. For example, High Rising Terminal (HRT) is a common feature in Australian English that can signal a desire for encouragement or check that the listener is following.

3. Paralinguistic Cues

Paralinguistic features are non-vocal signals that accompany spoken discourse. In an informal setting, these cues often replace the need for explicit verbal explanation.

• Facial Expressions: Smiles, frowns, or raised eyebrows to signal mood.
• Gaze: Eye contact to signal whose turn it is to speak.
• Body Language/Gestures: Shrugging (uncertainty), nodding (agreement), or pointing (deictic reference).
• Laughter: Used to build rapport, signal a joke, or diffuse tension.

STUDY HINT: Since paralinguistic cues are often omitted from transcripts unless specifically noted in brackets (e.g., [laughs]), you must look for their effects on the dialogue or mention them when discussing the situational context of a video/audio text.

4. Discourse Strategies and Turn-Taking

Informal speech is highly cooperative. Speakers use various strategies to manage the “floor” (the right to speak).

Turn-Taking Mechanisms

1. Taking the Floor: Using a loud volume, a starting conjunction (e.g., “But…”), or an interruptive start.
2. Holding the Floor: Using voiced hesitations (um) or rising intonation to signal that more information is coming.
3. Passing the Floor: Using interrogative tags (e.g., “isn’t it?”), falling intonation, or direct eye contact.

Cooperation Strategies

• Adjacency Pairs: Two-part exchanges that follow a predictable pattern (e.g., Question/Answer, Greeting/Greeting, Complaint/Apology).
• Backchanneling (Minimal Responses): Short sounds or words (e.g., mhm, yeah, right) used by the listener to show they are paying attention without wanting to take the floor.
• Overlapping Speech: When two people speak at once. In informal contexts, this is often cooperative overlap (showing excitement or agreement) rather than competitive interruption.

EXAM TIP: When analyzing a transcript, look for minimal responses. They are a key indicator of a highly cooperative, informal relationship (high solidarity) between participants.

5. Lexical and Syntactic Features of Informal Speech

The structure of informal speech differs significantly from the “Standard” syntax found in formal writing.

• Ellipsis: Omitting words that are understood from context (e.g., “[Are] You coming?” or “Been there, done that”). This increases the speed of delivery and assumes shared knowledge.
• Non-Standard Syntax: Phrases that don’t follow formal grammatical rules (e.g., “I done it yesterday”).
• Slang and Colloquialisms: Informal vocabulary (e.g., noob, reckon) used to reduce social distance and establish in-group identity.
• Interrogative Tags: Short questions tacked onto the end of statements (e.g., “It’s cold, aye?”). These invite the listener into the conversation and build rapport.
• Deictic Expressions (Deixis): Words that require context to be understood (e.g., “Put that over there”). These are common in speech because speakers usually share the same physical space.

VCAA FOCUS: Always link these features back to the Social Purpose. For example: “The use of ellipsis (‘Going?’) reduces social distance by assuming the interlocutor has enough shared context to fill in the missing auxiliary verb and pronoun.”

6. Cohesion and Coherence in Spoken Discourse

While informal speech may seem “messy,” it is still organized.

• Coherence is achieved through the logical development of ideas, shared background knowledge (inference), and predictable formatting (e.g., following the conventions of a “chat”).
• Cohesion is achieved through:
  • Conjunctions: Informal speech often relies heavily on coordinating conjunctions like and and but to chain ideas together.
  • Adverbials: Words like anyway or so used as discourse particles to shift topics or resume a story.
  • Anaphoric/Cataphoric Reference: Using pronouns to refer to previously mentioned or upcoming entities.

REMEMBER: Use the acronym P.S.V.T.I for Prosodics:
Pitch
Stress
Volume
Tempo
Intonation