TURN-TAKING, POLITENESS, AND IDENTITY: A CONVERSATIONAL STUDY OF SPEAK YOUR HEART

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamics of turn-taking, politeness, and identity construction in the YouTube talk show Speak Your Heart, a popular digital media platform in Pakistan. Drawing on Conversation Analysis (Sacks et al., 1974), Politeness Theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987), Interactional Sociolinguistics (Goffman, 1959; Bucholtz & Hall, 2005), and Digital Discourse Studies (Page, 2012; Tagg et al., 2017), the research explores how conversational structures shape participant roles and audience engagement in mediated talk. Data was collected from selected episodes of Speak Your Heart, transcribed, and analysed qualitatively to examine turn allocation, interruptions, overlaps, politeness strategies, and identity markers. The findings reveal that turn-taking is strategically managed by both hosts and guests to maintain conversational flow, assert authority, and highlight stance. Politeness strategies, particularly positive politeness and mitigation, are frequently employed to balance face needs while addressing sensitive topics. The analysis further demonstrates that identity is not fixed but dynamically negotiated, as participants align or distance themselves from cultural norms, professional affiliations, and audience expectations. The results highlight how digital talk shows function as hybrid spaces where personal narratives intersect with public performance, combining informal conversational styles with structured media formats. The study contributes to ongoing discussions in discourse analysis by situating Pakistani digital discourse within broader sociolinguistic scholarship. It also underscores the role of online talk shows in shaping contemporary cultural identities and provides insights for media practitioners on fostering meaningful, respectful, and engaging interactions.