A Comparative Analysis of Casual Conversation and Institutional Talk

摘要

This article reflects on the process of transcribing spoken interaction and makes a comparative analysis of two different varieties of spoken interaction(casual conver- sation and institutional talk). By doing so, it reveals how the different purposes of speech result in their distinctive characteristics, and shows how language is struc- tured to construct ideational meanings(Field) and interpersonal meanings(Tenor) that define each context.