Birgit Hörleinsberger

Of Geeks and Nerds: Do Conversation and Phatic Communion Take Place in a Natural Way in the Sitcom the Big Bang Theory? Birgit Hörleinsberger

Conversation analysis has already been applied to various types of natural verbal interaction. What it has not often been used for, however, is the analysis of represented or scripted talk as it occurs on TV. Sitcoms, due to their comic nature, are especially interesting as one might assume that conversation inherent to them strongly differs from everyday speech. Therefore, the investigation of interaction conventions and conversational structures in the outstanding sitcom The Big Bang Theory should give insights into the difference between natural and unnatural verbal communication.