Análisis conversacional

Abstract

Conversational analysis; which had its origin in North American sociology; represents a relatively new trend in sociolinguistics; pragmatics and applied linguistics; and its importance is continually increasing in various fields of research; including second language teaching. This article gives a brief idea of its historical development; mentions its areas of application; and discusses critically its achievements and limitations. Motivated above all by the limitations of conversational analysis; it is suggested that its methodology be extended to include other currents; taking into account recent developments in this area; in order to arrive at an adequate model for the analysis of verbal interaction. In conclusion; a number of areas are suggested in which conversational analysis; in the amplified version proposed; could contribute to a better understanding of the phenomena of social communication in Mexico.