Investigation #3 Analyzing a Speech Event

A: Borrow or renew?
B: Borrow.
A: Library card or ID Card?
B: ID card
A: Please put it here (Signal B to insert ID Card to the card reader. Wait for seconds. Signal B to remove it)
A: (Verify the data collected in ID Card) All right. Check the returning date.

In my investigation site, the dialogue matters the library book checking-out. For instance, we know that A is the librarian responsible for check out books and B is the library user. We also know the communication process is taken place in circulation counter rather than self check-in counter because it involves face-to-face contact between library staff and user. The structure of this speech event, which we could call “borrowing library books”, can be outlined as below. There are four speech acts within one speech situation occurred in circulation counter.

Speech situation: Conversation in circulation counter
Speech event: Borrowing library books
Speech act: Asking if the library user borrows or renews books
Speech act: Confirming if the library user borrows books by library card or ID card
Speech act: Signal the user to insert and remove ID card from the card reader
Speech act: Notice the borrowing registration is completed

Besides the above three levels of rules of speaking, we can also use Hyme’s SPEAKING model to produce further description of this speech event. Under setting, the event takes place in circulation counter at unspecified time. Under participants we would note that one librarian and one library user are performed. Under ends, the purpose of the spoken text is to fix the book borrowing procedure for that user. Under act sequence we might list at least four things the librarian would do. Under key we would figure out the tone is rather serious and formal. Under instrumentalities, the use of channel is direct face-to-face verbal contact. Under norms of interaction, the librarian is supposed to help the user either borrow or return books. And the user is supposed to bring along with the books, either for borrowing returning, to the circulation counter. Under the genre, we understand it is the library service.

The genre of registration for borrowing books in most cases occurs together with the formal key in workplace, particularly for service providers. Of course we cannot banish other possible services to be asked. The genre would be called unmarked whereas registration for borrowing tissues or cell phone would be called marked as their existences would be quite unexpected. In contrary, the speaker’s meaning of “Borrow or renew?” literally depends on knowledge of context when the user is holding books at the counter. Therefore, we understand the behavior is “borrowing books”.