English 414
K. Leslie
7-28-11
Matthew Grubisich
How Sweet The Sound
Speech is a beautiful thing. In the context of any given conversation, it binds us together through social interaction. The idea of conversation is hardly ever considered for more than what it is on the surface, a mere reciprocation of words between two or more individuals; but when you take a closer look, gender, dynamics of power and conversation styles play a significant role in how speech is interpreted. When taking a closer look into the complexity of speech and how it is developed, delivered and perceived, one can begin to understand how conversation styles come to exist. Personal experience and observations, as well as support from the works of Deborah Tannen, will help support the explanation of speech styles and how they affect the people who are processing the messages presented to them. The main focus will be the dynamics of interaction between men and women, as many factors contribute to how each gender communicates information and also how each interprets it. The delicate dance of conversation can be a smooth and joyful ride or it can leave you,oblivious to the beat of intended meaning.
As I have documented numerous conversations, had between my girlfriend and I for about a week now, subtle trends have been drawn to attention, supporting the intricate and dynamic speech styles between the male and female gender. Although our communication is often a dialogue of harmonious exchange, my girlfriend and I don't always see eye-to-eye. This is because she thinks I don't listen. Not true. As Deborah Tannen explains in "I'll Explain It To You", men and women have different ways of responding to speech.
[Mutual Accusations/Tannen]
Hi Matt,
ReplyDeleteI really like your voice and feel like I’m right there with ya as I read. I feel like you outlined how your paper was going to read in the intro but simply didn’t identify your role in the future of the paper. I know what is implied, it just sounded funny to me when there was outlining of action for later in the paper without explicitly hearing who was going to be behind it.
“Personal experience and observations, as well as support from the works of Deborah Tannen, will help support the explanation of speech styles and how they affect the people who are processing the messages presented to them. The main focus will be the dynamics of interaction between men and women, as many factors contribute to how each gender communicates information and also how each interprets it.”
Also, it’ll be nice to hear where you were going with the quote from Tannen’s “I’ll…You,” and just how you planned to back it up. Obviously there are differences in communication styles between genders. It would be nice as a reader to hear a vantage that is feasible, or better yet hear one that is quite convincing. Perhaps a quote near the onset of your paper would orient readers towards a greater sense of credibility in this work.
Good Luck!,
Max
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI really like how you introduce the essay. Like Max said I feel like you are doing a good job of grabbing the reader and really including them in the work. That being said it was a little unclear where your essay is going after the first paragraph. I think going into more detail about the complexities of speech will be a good direction for the final draft. I recommend using quotations from the texts to back up some of your observations. It will also be nice to see how you tie back your personal experiences with your girlfriend. Looking forward to your paper and for the conclusion just make sure you restate all your points.
-Max