Having a good conversation?

OK--so here is the list of what you came up with today in class as part of a very basic "genre analysis". You can use this as a reference--and it will also be one of the ways that we "judge" or "evaluate" the effectiveness of your essay.

Talk Shows/Gathering with Authors:

• active listening
• be considerate of the audience
• respectable answer, not just yes/no
• questions that go beyond just regular ole questions
• making the audience feel comfortable

Interview-Office Setting:

• listen diligently/pay attention
• do not get side-tracked
• do not waste their time

Debate:

• get audience involved
• make sure each answer and question is understood
• interesting questions
• active audience

Reporter/Moderator:

• know your opponent
• stress their points of view
• follow-up questions
• give a summary of what the author said (in your opinion)

Talk show:

• summarize
• get the audience involved--have audience get involved
• [be interested in what you are writing]

Coffee Shoppe:

• keep informal
• work with environment (waitresses, drinking coffee)
• does not need to stay on topic
• counter-arguments commonplace

email chat-room:

• informal
• keep the text the same [i.e. with abbreviations]
• describe setting
• write in any distractions--other "windows"

Late-Nite Dream:

• short questions with loose-based responses
• steer off original question points
• stories--in responses
• no direct interaction with audience

Casual Friendly conversation:


Interview w/ no-place:

• keep personal but also professional
• get in good with person
• don't move away from conversation--but go beyond
• let them go on a rant about whatever they want
• give questions that allow person to talk about what they want

Radio Show:

• everyone listen to one another
• one at a time
• speak clearly so everyone can understand
• be informal
• callers involved--ask questions
• interesting questions (not boring ones_
• everyone should stay relaxed

Talk show:

• interesting topics
• speak clearly
• get audience involved--ask questions
• keep conversation flowing
• ask questions yourself

Newspaper article about interview:

• ask questions that will get people to go deeper
• summarize
• some quotes

Coffeeshop:

• other people interacting
• overheard them talking
• didn't know them bumped into them
• casual
• can be personal
• ask about childhood/background/education

Talk show:

• good introduction
• what is the topic of the discussion
• have guests
• give guests' background
• allow guests to talk--say opinions
• have your opinion
• host
• audience add comments
• commercial breaks
• have a great day

No setting group discussion--big comfy conference room:

• our class, two authors, and yours truly
• respect
• mediate--self-mediation
• conflict (everyone loves conflict)
• emotionally involved
• healthy disagreement