Transcript of The Apprentice

Transcript:

S: I  was the project manager I lost money (.) but the reason I lost money (.) and I could've made a fortune in that shopping centre this morning(.) if we started this |morning|

SA:                                                                                               |could've|

S:                                                                                                                cause I'm |good|

SA:|could've| (.) yeah (.) could've should've would've (.) yeah (.) but you didn't right

S: No Sir |Alan|

SA:         |No| (.) you didn't (.) yeah (3) I think I've heard enough (.) for me to make a (.) very difficult decision here |today|

C:                               |Sir| Alan may I say one more thing please (3)

SA: If you insist (1)

C: I think in this whole competition (.) if you sit back and remain quiet and under the radar (1) people assume their safe (1) and I've been bold and I know I'm vocal |and|

SA:                                                                                                    |you've| been bold |alright|

C: |and it |puts |me|

SA:                  |don't| worry| about that

C:                             |and| it puts me in a vulnerable position (.) I'm sorry I've |sat| here

SA:                                                                                                                |the| trouble is (.) you know (.) you never back off (1) you know what I'll tell you what I'm gonna do with you (.) I'll tell you what I'm gonna do with you (1) I'm getting sick and tired with you denying all of this (.) I'm sick of looking at you (.) now get out that door (2) get back to the bloody house (.) ok (.) get back to the house (.) yeah (.) because you're gonna be the next team leader (.) I'm sick of looking at you at the moment (.) get out that door (.) and get back to the house

 

Explanation:

1.       What is interesting about the language used is that despite the formal setting, there are constant interruptions. Although it is Sir Alan who interrupts the most (six times), which could be because of his power status. Both his influential and instrumental power allows him to be able to interrupt without sounding rude.

2.      I could use the Dominance Theory when analysing the transcript. Zimmerman and West put forward the idea that men interrupt more than women. This can be proven by comparing Sir Alan's interruptions, 6, to Claire's, 3.

3.      I could also compare the type of grammar that all three people. They have different levels of power and so use different types of words when talking to each other.

4.      The title I could use for an investigation into data like this could be: How does interruptions in formal situations show the difference in our language?

5.      Real data that I could collect is a transcript from a business meeting or formal situation.