An analysis of the introduction of delicate talk

The treatment of taboo topics once stated by participants has been explored. However, it appears that talk preceding delicate topics has not been analysed as thoroughly, and that certain linguistic features can highlight that speakers are approaching a sensitive subject. Prior to delicate topic(s) being stated (here, the subject of age and individuals’ personal beliefs), speakers may express hesitancy mainly through the non-verbal linguistic feature of silences, including intra-turn silences, pauses and gaps. Silences preceding delicate subject(s) can occur individually, before a discourse marker, or before both a discourse marker and a filler. The current, conversation analytic research is based on a collection of fourteen extracts, taken from the institutional talk of four undergraduate Sociolinguistic seminars involving lecturers and students. This paper draws on various academics’ research including Goffman (1967), cited by Mao, (1993) whose work on face theory highlights that participants may deliberate when approaching difficult topics due to wanting to maintain a positive face, indicating that using silences and fillers can be a redressive act.

Overall, this research aims to show that maintaining a positive face when discussing delicate topics is important to speakers, indicated through their hesitancy. 
Key Words: discourse markers; fillers; silences; delicate topics.
References:
Mao, R.L. (1993) Beyond politeness theory: ‘Face’ revisited and renewed [Internet]. Available from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.docu ments/32562959/Beyond_politenes s_theoryFace_revisited_and_renewed.pdf?AW SAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53U L3A&Expires=1547239445&Signature=BzPUkk5 8kaud%2Fer%2BqtlLzxGuegU%3D&re sponse- content- disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DBeyond _politeness_theory_F ace_revisited.pdf [Accessed 11th January 2019].

McEnery, Tony. (2006) Bad Language, Bad Manners. In: McEnery, Tony. ed. Swearing in English: Bad Language, Purity and Power from 1586 to the Present. Routledge Advances in Corpus Linguistics. Lancaster University, Routledge, p.1.