A conversational analysis of expressing love topics in some mobile phone calls among Mosuli speakers

Abstract EN

This study aims at analyzing some mobile telephone conversations among Mosuli dated couples.

It tries to show the linguistic interactional strategies used in expressing love topics, i.e.

how couples start, maintain and terminate their calls, the features that signal the conversation as love talk, and the sex differences involved in such type of conversation.

The study hypothesizes that couples' telephone conversation involves using the methods of normal telephone conversation management with some modification.

In addition, a standard formula is adopted in starting and ending the conversation.

Besides, the topics raised by lovers are of a special kind.

Finally, males have the highest proportion than females in revealing love topics, using direct elicitation and directive.

The study has come up with certain findings that confirm the hypotheses raised.

However, almost in contrast to the last raised hypothesis, it has been found that females appear to have the highest proportion in revealing topics, raising direct questions, and adopting directive exchanges.