Comparing Earl And Dianne's Conversational Style

Although the content of a conversation is important, the way in which a person says something greatly affects its meaning. The lecture “Conversational Style” addresses five concepts to observe when people deliver a message: pace, overlap and pause, rate of speech, pitch, and topic.
Pace is the “rhythm or speed of alternating turns in a conversation,” overlap and pause deals with whether or not participants “talk at the same time,” and rate of speech measures “how many words per minute” a person uses (Maxwell). Throughout the conversation, Earl and Dianne maintain a relatively consistent pace with each other; there is little space in between Earl and Dianne’s retorts, resulting in a faster paced conversation. The average pace of this conversation …show more content…
When Earl leaves more space for his response, it is to express frustration. This is evident from his furrowed eyebrows and his slow, deep breaths. Dianne’s first pause is to express disbelief at her son’s stern reaction, as seen through her confused expression. When she pauses a second time, it is almost as if she is contemplating what her son has just admitted. This pause is relatively longer, because she appears to also be formulating a response in her head before voicing her opinion. Also, Dianne’s rate of speech switches between fast and slow, compared to Earl’s more confident and steady rate. Her increased rate usually suggests irritation, causing her to occasionally stumble and switch to a slower rate. Dianne’s long pause and varying rate of speech could be due to the fact that English is her second language. This cultural difference also serves as an explanation for Dianne’s occasional interruptions. In her family background, “respect for one’s elders” is a core value, implicating that the “one-up” person’s thoughts take priority over those of the “one-down’s.” However, Earl’s western influence demands more equality between adults, in which both participants have both a