An Analysis of Adjacency Pairs in Stephen Colbert and Chris Hemsworth's Interview on The Late Show

Dwi Permata Sari; Eva Meita Trisnawati

doi:10.35724/mujolali.v6i2.6147

Dwi Permata Sari Universitas Musamus
Eva Meita Trisnawati

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35724/mujolali.v6i2.6147

Keywords: Adjacency Pairs, Conversation Analysis, Spoken Discourse, Utterances

Abstract

This research was conducted to analyze the adjacency pairs used in the conversation between host Stephen Colbert and guest Chris Hemsworth on The Late Show. The purpose of this research is to describe and analyze the types of adjacency pairs used in their conversation. A descriptive qualitative research method was employed; the video with a duration of 6:16 minutes and the transcript of the interview were analyzed to identify and categorize adjacency pairs based on Paltridge's theory. Twenty instances of adjacency pairs were identified in the analysis, with the most frequent being question-answer pairs (55%) and assessment-agreement pairs (30%). Additionally, 5% of the interactions were comprised of greeting-greeting, requesting-agreement, and compliment-acceptance pairs. The structured nature of media interviews is highlighted by these findings, demonstrating how smooth, engaging, and informative conversations are facilitated by adjacency pairs. Dynamic information exchange is enabled by the frequent use of question-answer pairs, while a coherent dialogue is maintained by assessment-agreement pairs. Furthermore, valuable insights into conversation dynamics that can be used to enhance language learning and teaching strategies are offered by the study's findings, particularly in understanding and utilizing adjacency pairs to foster effective communication skills.

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