A Linguistics Analysis of Television Talk Show.
ABSTRACT
This study seeks to make a linguistic analysis of a television talk show, a case study of NTA Kaduna with the aim of describing the nature of its dialogue, providing an assessment of it, and exposing the peculiarities therein.
It brings to the fore features that have otherwise not been observed in a talk show. The usual assumption by discourse analysts is that language used in institutionalized or formal settings is structured and follows the tenets of discourse analysis.
As a result, there is a disparity in language use in spontaneous and institutionalized settings. Chapter one focuses on the background to the study.
It also presents a brief insight into the case study. It also examines the research problem, aim, scope, and limitation as well as the significance of the study.
Chapter two looks at the literature review, the conceptualization of television talk shows, the history of breakfast talk shows, and the format of breakfast talk shows.
Chapter three is the data presentation and analysis of the study. Chapter four takes us to a pragmatic insight which forms the basis for arrival at our conclusion.
This study observes that language use within the talk show is not fashioned in the usual manner of language use in institutionalized settings.
It x recommends that language use in other institutionalized settings should be analyzed as well for their flexibility as it pertains to spontaneity and also of the use of other theoretical genres of Linguistics for the analysis of dialogue as discourse should be considered.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page i
Approval page ii
Dedication ii
Acknowledgements iii
Table Page vii
Abstract xi
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 BACKGROUND OF STUDY 1
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 3
1.2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY 5
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY 6
1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY 7
1.5 METHOD AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 8
1.6 NTA KADUNA BREAKFAST SHOW: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE
STUDY AREA 11
1.7 DEFINITION OF THE KEY CONCEPT 12
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 INTRODUCTION 14
2.1TELEVISION TALK SHOW 14
2.1.1 HISTORY OF TALK SHOW 15
2.1.2 TALK SHOW AND SUB-GENRES 18
2.2 BREAKFAST TALK SHOW 20
2.2.1 BREAKFAST TALK SHOW: FORMAT AND STYLE 21
2.2.2 CINCLAIR AND COULTHARD 23
2.2.3 DISDERE BUTTON (1981) 26
2.2.4 MICHAEL STUBBS (1983) 27
2.2.5 NICKY STATION (1991) 29
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 DATA ANALYSIS 35
3.1METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS 35
3.2 QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS 51
3.3 QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS 54
3.3.1 CURRENT-SPEAKER-SELECTS (CSSN) CSSN 59
3.3.2 CSSN THROUGH DIRECT QUESTION 60
3.3.3 NEXT-SPEAKER-SELF-SELECTS-AS NEXT (NSSS) 60
3.3.4 NSSS THROUGH QUESTIONING 62
3.3.5 NSSS THROUGH INTERRUPTIONS 62
3.3.6 NSSS THROUGH OVERLAPS 63
3.3.7 NSSS THROUGH DISCOURSE MARKER 64
3.3.8 NSSS AFTER A PAUSE 65
3.3.9 NSSS AFTER FALLING INTONATION 67
3.310 CURRENT-SPEAKER –CONTINUES (CSC) 68
CHAPTER FOUR
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
4.1 SUMMARY 72
4.2 CONCLUSION 73
4.3 RECOMMENDATION 74
4.4 SUGGESTION 75
BIBLIOGRAPHY 76
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Television is an important medium of communication in the 21st century (Obono and Madu, 2012). It is used for several reasons including information, education, entertainment, and persuasion.
Unlike other media structures, television has the advantage of utilizing vision for mass communication (Obono and Madu, 2012).
This is because it provides the avenue for programming which remains a key instrument for attracting an audience and determining the viability of a station and for changing society (Obono and Madu, 2012).
Television technology is developing rapidly and impacting the diverse strata of the population. It is a socializing agent as information transmitted can easily affect people’s (audience) worldview, perception, and behavior.
It exposes people to opinions that challenge their traditional ethos (Mary, 2010). Television has thus, become a major source of information acquisition, companionship, and a relaxation tool as it provides millions with free leisure strategies and opportunities.
The advent of television technology has further accelerated the establishment of television stations and programmers in both the developed and less developed countries.
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is one of those television stations established to professionally disseminate information about the sociopolitical and economic development of the Nigerian state and indeed beyond.
NTA is owned by the Federal Government. It has the widest reach with stations in all states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (Folarin, 2005).
It is from this angle that NTA Kaduna operates a breakfast talk show which is equally a phone-in-talk show. The NTA Kaduna breakfast talk show is believed to be playing a very important role in engaging the public in constructive debate on various issues such as politics, health, economics, and peacebuilding among others.
Such a program with topical issues affecting society requires an examination of its operations. It is against this background that this study seeks to examine the NTA Kaduna breakfast talk show while focusing on its achievements, prospects, and challenges.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Television talk shows are unique as they are not like daily news journalism which pursues facts and balances statements against each other, seeking a clear record of events.
A talk show can consist of invited guests insisting on their facts and positions and arguing about the truth. Or it can consist of the presenter encouraging random callers to express themselves on what they have heard on the 3 programs, or on a particular issue; often talk shows are a mixture of both formats (Brian, 2010).
Bibliography
Ajibola, M. A (2001): A Discourse Analysis of the Eye Witness News.Unpublished M.A. English Thesis, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Aliyu, J.S. (1981). The Stuttering Learner in the Nigerian Environment: Understanding the Problems and Reducing the Consequences. In The Journal of Education and Rehabilitation Universty of Jos.Vol.2 no 1.
Austin, J. (1975). How to Do Things with Words. London: Oxford Press.
Bamgbose, A. (1995). English in the Nigerian Environment.In Bamgbose, A. New Englishes: A West African Perspective. Ibadan: Mosuro Publishers and Bookseller.
Brian, S. (2010) “Anderson Cooper to Host Daytime Talk show”, New York Times, July 3.
Banjo, A. (1995).On Codifying Nigerian English: Research so far. In Bamgbose, A. New Englishes: A West African Perspective. Ibadan: Mosuro Publishers and Bookseller.
Bean, J. (1991) In Nunan, D. Introducing Discourse AnalysisHarmondsworth: PenguinBooks. (n.t.).
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