- What is interesting about the language used?
Alan uses
metaphors and exaggerated language regularly, ‘if I asked you to dig me a
trench you’d dig me a trench’. However, the other participants in the
conversation were noticeably less powerful and therefore did not use recognised
language features like metaphors etc,
this is because they had less control and less time to say what they were
trying to say, because usually all their speech is in reply to Sugar’s
questions – one word replies, ‘no’ and ‘I
didn’t’.
- What theory could you use when analysing the
transcript?
Goffman’s
theory of ‘face’ during conversational interactions, which is expanded upon by
Brown and Levinson is displayed in the transcript. Brown and Levinson
identified face – saving and face – threatening acts that arise during
conversations, for example if a person is being rude, it is threatening their
‘face’. An example of this in the transcript is when Lord Sugar dismisses one
of the hopeful contestants from the board room,
‘I’m getting sick of looking at you at the moment get out that door’ and ‘get back to the the bloody house’.
‘I’m getting sick of looking at you at the moment get out that door’ and ‘get back to the the bloody house’.
- What other data could you collect that would compare
with it?
- What could you title an investigation into data like
this?
-Language and
power in the board room.
- What real data could you collect?
Sound recordings
and interviews of the eliminated contestant immediately after his departure.
