Interaction of Face and Rapport in an American TV Talk Show

Abstract

This paper is concerned with some features of English spoken discourse which appear in an American TV talk show. It focuses on the conversational interactions between a host and guests in a particular context from a rapport management perspective. The paper discusses whether certain speech acts are related to face, and shows that managing rapport involving positive politeness also appears to be manifested. With particular reference to the speakers role, this paper highlights the speakers awareness of the role of the listener and the rapport with them by interpreting the use of deictic shift, repetition and acts which may, unintentionally, threaten face.