The X Factor – ‘How is this transcript typical of spoken language?’

The X Factor – ‘How is this transcript typical of spoken language?’

A range of spoken linguistic features appear in the transcript to make it obvious that the text is a verbal transcript.

The first example of spoken language in the transcript is accent and dialogue. Louis says ‘ya’ which is a typical Irish trait of its accent and wouldn’t be seen as that in written language. Also, Tulisa says ‘smash it’ and ‘tore it up’ which is dialogue used most commonly by young people and the regional location of where she is from. In spoken language, it is easy to identify where someone is from by what they say and the way they say it.

3 out of the 4 judges on the show address Mischa first when they start talking. This is an example of spoken language because in written language, the context makes it clear to the reader who is saying what. In spoken language, it can be difficult to recognise who is talking to who without addressing the reader and with no other clear communication, such as eye contact and body language, to make it evident who the target is.

Each speaker in the text uses pauses, (.) or (1) etc., when talking. Because speech is spontaneous, the speaker takes gaps to think about what they are going to say next. The pauses are most common when changing the topic from one point to the next, for example, the judges are being very complementary of the contestant and tend to hesitate more when giving a criticism. They might have to think more about what they are going to say without causing a conflict or implying the wrong meaning. This happens when Tulisa says ‘(2) erm (.) the truth is Mischa (1)’.

The point of being more hesitant when addressing a problem links to the hedging of the judges. Not only do the judges take more pauses, but they try and avoid saying their honest thoughts by implying something else when giving a criticism to Mischa. For example, Tulisa says ‘The true is Mischa… anything I say to you is only because I want you to be the best you can be…the point that I was trying to make…’ this section of the text is a typical example of hedging in spoken language because Tulisa might feel under pressure from other things, such as the other judge’s complimentary comments, what the media might say, or audience reaction, that she has to be careful about critiquing Mischa so that she doesn’t create a negative image for herself. 

The transcript also includes examples of downward converging. For example, Louis says ‘you put it down baby girl’. Considering Louis Walsh’s background and reputation compared to Mischa’s, he is downward converging by making conversation but talking at her level of dialogue and trying to fit in with her type of social group and speech. He might want to do this to appeal to the younger audience by relating to that age and social group’s speech, and make him seem likable by being comical. This is apparent in spoken language where speakers adjust their speech towards or away from one another at a different level.

Holding the floor, in which one speaker is in control of the conversation, is often seen in spoken but not in written language. An example of this in the transcript is when Alexandra Burke says ‘remember, it’s it’s a ladder’, she is holding the floor by keeping the contestant in form and making sure she isn’t being over-confident. She wants to control the situation so her advice is heard and that she is in a higher position because she has already had experience in the situation.

Finally, Brown and Levinson’s building the face theory in also included in the transcript. The judges are very complementary of Mischa and so this is building her face, implying that she is being welcomed into their ‘group’ of likeable musicians.