The opening sequences in the radio phone call-in conversations in Behdini-Kurdish

Abstract

Verbal interaction is organized into sequences of utterances which are understood according to their sequential context. One of them is the opening sequences which are the initiation chunks of speech in order to start a conversation. Much work has been done on the opening sequences in other languages, whereas these sequences have not received attention by researchers in Kurdish. The study is the first attempt to identify the structure of the opening sequences in one variety of Kurdish, namely, Behdini. Besides, it will show the forms of each sequence identified in the structure and how the structures and sequences vary according to gender. The study is based on the analysis of the opening sequences of 77 radio phone call-in conversations. The data has been analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using the conversation analysis approach. Two structures of opening sequences in Kurdish are identified depending on whether the call is known or unknown. For the caller-unknown conversations, the structure is summons answer, greeting, how are you sequence, identification, and greetings sending/ compliments/ guest welcoming sequence.  In the caller-known, identification sequence is not realized. The study identified the common forms of each sequence realized in the structure of the opening sequences. Some gender variations are realized in the structure of the opening sequences, their sequences and forms.

The study is important because it will help identify language-specific conventions of opening sequences and to which extent they vary according to social factors. Besides, it will enrich the typological studies of opening sequences by adding another language-specific convention of opening sequences to the ones already investigated and to pave the way to formulate general or even universal principles of organisation of talk in interaction.