Infinite Digression

Turn Taking

modified:Jan 08, 20252 min read

created, $=dv.current().file.ctime & modified, =this.modified tags:languageconversation

NOTE

I fear in so closely examining these language structures I’ll be cast into silence in group speak.

Turn-taking is a type of organization in conversation and discourse where participants speak one at a time in alternating turns..

Overlapping talk is generally avoided and silence between turns is minimized.

This order of steps serves to maintain two important elements of conversation: one person speaking at a time and minimized space between when one person stops talking and another begins. Because the system is not optimized for fairness or efficiency, and because turn-taking is not reliant on a set number or type of participants, there are many variations in how turn-taking occurs.

Overlapping

  1. terminal - occur when a speaker assume the other speaker has or is about to finish their speaking and then overlap.
  2. Continuers - a way of the hearer acknowledging or understanding what the speaker is saying, such as “mm hm, uh huh”
  3. Conditional access to the turn - implies the current speaker yields their turn or invites another speaker to interject. (finding a word in a word search)
  4. Chordal - non-serial occurrences of turns, meaning both speaker turns are occurring at once, such as in laughter.

Thought

Can I overlap my own thought? Can my writing overlap itself? Can I isolate all points of overlapping done in a day and listen to those?

During conversation, a listener has an obligation to support the speaker. An interruption impedes upon this obligation by infringing upon the wishes of the speaker (which is to be heard). The difference between a power interruption or rapport is the degree to which the speakers’ wishes are impeded upon.

Overlaps have the potential to be competitive but many overlaps are cooperative.

  • overlaps that were continuers or assessments and did not pull attention away from the speaker.
  • overlaps that were questions that moved the conversation forward.

Eye Contact

During conversation taking cued gaze prompts the listener to speak.

Two gazes are associated with turn taking.

  1. Mutual Break - there is a break in the conversation and the two participants gaze at one other, break and continue conversation.
  2. Mutual Hold - there is a pause in conversation then they still hold the gaze as the conversation begins again.

Backlinks