AWEJ Volume.4 Number.2, 2013 Pp.137-151
Closing Techniques for Face-to-Face Conversation in Saudi Educational Institutes
Khadija Abdullah Al-Amoudi
King Abdulaziz University
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of techniques used by English Language Institute teachers at King Abdul-Aziz University to end their face-to-face conversation. In recent years, conversation analysis trends have been the focus of much research. A considerable number of studies have been conducted on conversation closing strategies and techniques (e.g. Stenström, 1992; Dwi-Nugroho, 1993; Schegloff & Sacks 2000; Marlina, 2001; Stockwell, 2002; Saptiana, 2004; Sambo, 2005); yet, due attention is not given to this linguistic phenomenon in Saudi society. In an attempt to fill in this gap in the literature, this research utilizes Saptiana’s (2004) method of closing functions and techniques which proposes twenty techniques based on three theories: five techniques from Albert and Kessler (1976), nine techniques from Wardhaugh (1985), and six techniques from Stenström (1992). The data in the current study is taken from a recording of open informal conditioned conversations between two faculty members. The findings demonstrate that ELI teachers utilize eighteen different techniques. This proves the hypothesis that well-educated people use a wide range of closing techniques. Dismissing oneself and giving reasons are found to be the most frequent closing techniques. In addition, the findings reveal that six techniques in Saptiana’s (2004) study are found to be irrelevant to our data. Her classification is also found to be insufficient for the purpose of analyzing all the data in this research. Thus, additional expansions were required.
Keywords: Conversation analysis, closing strategies, closing functions, closing techniques, ELI teachers’ conversation closing techniques