The discursive accomplishment of normality: On 'lingua franca' English and conversation analysis

Lingua franca interactions in English-those exclusively involving nonnative speakers-are common, everyday occurrences worldwide, yet have not been studied by conversation analysts. By examining the naturally-occurring, work-related talk of management personnel communicating in 'lingua franca' English, this paper explores a range of issues surrounding the applicability of conversation analytic methodology to lingua franca talk-data. While conversation analysis (CA) does provide a basic methodology through which we are able to describe in detailed ways how such interactions are sequentially and thus socially constructed, consideration of the data type itself allows us to cast new light on some of CA's methods and working assumptions. At the same time, the paper documents some of the various methods through which participants do interactional and discursive work to imbue talk with an orderly and 'normal' appearance, in the face of extraordinary, deviant, and sometimes 'abnormal' linguistic behaviour.