Beyond Colloquialisms: Translating
the Conversational Ritual
Michael Kosowski
What is a Conversational Ritual?
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• “I’ll be right back.”
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• “I’m going for lunch.”
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• “I’m stepping out. Can I get you anything?”
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• “I’m stepping out. Can I get you anything?”
✓
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• “I’m stepping out. Can I get you anything?”
Phrase Break Down:
“I’m stepping out”
Promise of an eventual return
No, coworker, I am not abandoning you.
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• “I’m stepping out. Can I get you anything?”
Phrase Break Down:
“Can I get you anything?”
Offer of friendship?
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• “I’m stepping out. Can I get you anything?”
Phrase Break Down:
“Can I get you anything?”
Offer of friendship?
Insurance for a Return
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• Completion
• “No Thanks. Enjoy.”
What is a Conversational Ritual?
• Completion
• “I would love a packet of Peanut M&Ms”
Other Examples of Conversational
Ritual
• Deborah Tannen
“Saying Hello”
How are you?
Other Examples of Conversational
Ritual
• Deborah Tannen
“Saying Hello”
How are you?
Where are you going?
Have you eaten yet?
Other Examples of Conversational
Ritual
• Ghandi
“Saying Hello”
Have you had a proper bowel movement
yet?
Other Examples of Conversational
Ritual
• Hebrew
“Saying Hello”
Mah Shlomcha?
Bseder!
Baruch haShem!
?‫מה שלמך‬
!‫בסדר‬
!‫ברוך השם‬
Other Examples of Conversational
Ritual
• Hebrew
“Saying Hello”
Mah Shlomcha?
Bseder!
Baruch haShem!
- “How are you?”
- “Thank God.”
?‫מה שלמך‬
!‫בסדר‬
!‫ברוך השם‬
We must consider…
• How do we transform students of language
into students of culture?
We must consider…
• How do we transform students of vocabulary
and grammar into students of conversational
ritual and biases?
What I have done:
• Cultural Biases and Current Events
• Phrasal Learning
• Media Filtration
• Native Interaction
1) Cultural Biases and Current Events
• Conversational biases are keys to
conversational rituals
1) Cultural Biases and Current Events
• Conversational biases are keys to
conversational rituals
– What is talked about? What is acceptable ?
1) Cultural Biases and Current Events
• Conversational biases are keys to
conversational rituals
– What is talked about? What is acceptable ?
– What important events or changes are happening
in the modern culture? In the recent culture?
1) Cultural Biases and Current Events
• Conversational biases are keys to
conversational rituals
– What is talked about? What is acceptable ?
– What important events or changes are happening
in the modern culture? In the recent culture?
– How do religion and politics affect the language?
1) Cultural Biases and Current Events
• Break the fear of discussing culture.
• Break the fear of discussing cultural
stereotypes.
• Break the fear of discussing things a culture
understands, and things it does not.
2) Phrasal Learning
• “Break a leg!”
2) Phrasal Learning
• “Break a leg!”
– “Thanks”
2) Phrasal Learning
• “Break a leg!”
– “Thanks”
• «Ни пуха ни пера!»
2) Phrasal Learning
• “Break a leg!”
– “Thanks”
• «Ни пуха ни пера!»
– «К чёрту!»
2) Phrasal Learning
• “Break a leg!”
– “Thanks”
Negative luck is not rejected
• «Ни пуха ни пера!»
– «К чёрту!» (To Hell, To the Devil)
Negative luck is rejected
Example of a demanded cultural answer
2) Phrasal Learning
• Devote time towards allowing students to learn
phrases, and phrasal responses.
• Explain what they mean, and why they are
culturally significant.
• Introduce students to phrases, even if they
include difficult words and ideas.
3) Media
• “Verisimilitude”
3) Media
• “Verisimilitud…inality”
– Films which are based not only in conversation,
but try to capture daily, realistic, interactions
between people.
3) Media
• “Verisimilitud…inality”
– Films which are based not only in conversation,
but try to capture daily, realistic, interactions
between people.
– Written dialogues which seek to portray two or
more people in a professional setting or an everyday situation, rather than Amy and Alice packing
for a trip to the mountains.
4) Media and Native Interaction
• Conversations with a native person, either in
person or on social media such as Skype etc…,
may allow a teacher to catch a phrase or aspect
of discussion that he or she may not have
previously explained.
Thank You
Спасибо Большое
Merci Beaucoup
‫תודה רבה‬