Speech Genre: Pickup/Meeting new people -> Meeting the Parents

Breaking down a Speech Genre

Making a good impression/Meeting new people

Smaller Russian Doll: Meeting the Parents

Context and Function

1.       What is the general setting

a.       In the family home living room/ dining room

2.       What subjects are usually included: questions, ideas and issues that irise

a.       Career choices, holidays, life advice, length of relationship, age, where they met

3.       Who are the participants? Who uses this genre? What roles do they play?

a.       The couple and both of one partners’ parents

b.      Hopefully used by everyone in a relationship interested in marriage. Often in long-term relationships for planned family gatherings if not for anything too serious. Young people may meet for school dances

4.       What purpose does this genre fill and what do the participants get out of it?

a.       Getting to know the people intimate with your kids or that raised your significant other

b.      Can sometimes lead to consent for marriage or other activities

Textual Features

1.       What speech patterns do people in this genre share?

a.       The partner: tend to talk themselves up professionally as if in an interview, lots of smiling for trust

b.      The daughter/son: validation for partner, validation for parents, often simply trying to keep all parties satisfied

c.       Parents: authoritative and inquisitive like a boss giving an interview

2.       What is included? Excluded?

a.       Include: Questions of living situations, finances, culture, family

b.      Exclude: criminal records, levels of sexual interaction

3.       What rhetorical appeals are commonly used? How does subject attempt to persuade?

a.       The Partner: may use authority in his or her financial or living situation to appeal.

b.      Daughter/son: may appeal to Pathos or emotion to evoke sympathy or acceptance

c.       Parents: likely always use their authority as the parents

4.       How are these speeches organized or structured?

a.       Meant to seem very casually, but often structure similarly to interviews for employment

5.       Is there a standard format, layout and length?

a.       Not really

6.       What types of sentences are common in this genre?

a.       Common lines: I work as a, My parents grew up in, I grew up doing, We met

b.      very explanatory

7.       What do you notice about word choice from the speaker? Is there a type of jargon, slang, or specialized vocabulary?

a.       All speaker’s tend to speak in professional language so as not to offend anyone. Common vocabulary includes: Employment, Religion, hobbies, the words I, you, how where, when, what, who. All the Ws

Implied or Assumed Features

1.       What do speakers have to know and believe to understand, appreciate, or participate in this genre?

a.       The speakers must understand that it is a sensitive situation and there is room for all parties to be offended or hurt in order to be effective in this speech

2.       Who is invited to the genre and who is excluded?

a.       Friends are likely excluded, this is usually just immediate family

3.       What values, beliefs, goals, and assumptions underlie this genre’s patterns?

a.       Family is important, the future of the youth in question is important, and the relationship is serious

4.       What content or topics are privileged in this genre? What content is considered most important and what is dismissed?

a.       Most important topics: economics and family

b.      Dismissed: the weather, sports teams, controversial issues like abortion or political parties

5.       What are possible outcomes of this genre? What actions does this genre help make possible? What does it make difficult?

a.       Outcomes: the couple could break-up resulting in at least a few unhappy parties, they could get married, or they could continue with their lives regardless

b.      Possibilities: family trips with partner, marriage, continued relationship

c.       Difficulties: being polarizing, critical thought and conversation

6.       What is the speaker’s attitude towards the audience? What is he assuming about them?

a.       Speaker has an attitude of respect and assumes that they have the authority to ruin their relationship or make it difficult

7.       What is the speaker’s attitude towards the world?

a.       The speaker wants to be accepted and his or her relationship acknowledged

Video on meeting parents

https://youtu.be/-isn_amTZ8I