grammatical constraints and motivations for - University of the ...

telephonically and via email and was informed of the purpose for which the
recordings were intended.
Once these recordings were obtained, I transcribed the audio, playing it repeatedly
to ensure that no errors were made. The audio was transcribed using the
transcription conventions suggested by Eggins and Slade (1997).
I had chosen to use transcripts from the show due to the fact that one would not
normally expect to hear this type of speech on radio. The media often tends not to
communicate with its listeners through the use of the vernacular, but with this talk
show it appears as if the hosts are appealing to the very speech community to
which they belong by using the very language that they would typically use in
interactions with members of the community.
The content of the show focuses on matters of interest within the community.
These include political issues and events that have made headlines in the news.
However, the issues at hand are always dealt with and discussed in good humour
and in a light-hearted way. At times, the show may tend to get serious, but
usually it is all about having a good laugh. It appears as though the language used
is symbolic of the light-hearted manner in which the topics are dealt with. Rather
than using the formal, standard variety which would portray a more formal,
serious tone, both the hosts and the callers use Kaapse Afrikaans which portrays a
more casual approach.
The data has been divided into two sets, Update Kaapse Vlakte 1 and 2, but the
turns have been numbered so that Update Kaapse Vlakte 2 appears to be a
continuation of Update Kaapse Vlakte 1. This is literally not the case as the two
shows were broadcast on two different dates, but I have chosen to use this method
to avoid confusion and make referencing easier as no two turns have the same
number.
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