Interruption and Turntaking

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Interruption and Turn-taking

• Claus Brockmeyer
• Caroline Smieja

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Turn construction units (TCUs)

• TCUs are turns at talk, e.g. in sentences,
  clauses, single words or phrases

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The two components of the turn-taking model

• 1 TCUs have the property of projectability it
  is possible for participants to project, in the
  course of TCU, what sort of unit it is and at
  what point it is likely to end.
• 2 TCUs have transition-relevance places (TRPs)
  at their boundaries at the end of each TCU there
  is the possibility for legitimate transition
  between speakers (example)

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Interruptions - definition(West / Zimmermann
1975,1983)

• have the potential to disrupt a speakers turn
  and disorganize ongoing construction of the
  conversational topic of the first speaker
• regarded as a hostile act

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Interruptions - definition(West / Zimmermann
1975,1983)

• A second speaker begins speaking at what could
  not be a TRP
• a violation of the first speakers turn
• a device for exercising power and control in a
  conversation
• a deep intrusion penetration of first speakers
  utterance

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1. Interruption definition(Jennifer Coates)

• Violation of turn-taking rules of conversation.
  The next speaker begins to speak while the
  current speaker is still speaking, at a point in
  the current speakers turn which could not be
  defined as the last word.

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2. Interruption definition(Jennifer Coates)

• Interruptions break the symmetry of the
  conversational model the interruption prevents
  the first speaker from finishing his/her turn, at
  the same time gaining a turn for oneself (second
  speaker).

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Rules for Turn-taking(Sacks, Schegloff,
Jefferson, 1974)

• current speaker selects next speaker
• next speaker self-selects
• current speaker continues

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Violation of the turn-taking model (Jennifer
Coates)

• grabbing the floor
• hogging the floor (taking the floor although
  other speaker was selected)
• not responding (silence)

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Definitions of overlap

• Bennett (1981) Overlap is when two voices are
  going on at the same time.

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Definitions of overlap

• West / Zimmerman (1975/1983) An overlap is an
  instance of simultaneous speech where a speaker
  other than the current speaker begins to speak
  at, or very close to a possible TRP in a current
  speakers utterance. It is this proximity to a
  legitimate point of speaker alternation that
  leads to distinguish overlaps from interruptions.

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Definitions of overlap

• Coates (2003) instances of slight
  over-anticipation by the next speaker.
• Over-anticipation does not necessarily force the
  first speaker to finish his / her turn.

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Interruption vs. Overlap (Tannen 1990)

• High-involvement style
• High-considerateness style

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Interruption vs. Overlap (Tannen 1990)

• High-involvement style
• - little / no pause
• supportive tags (hms, yes, ok.)
• overlapping questions
• fast-paced latching (elaborating on a topic)
• conversation is not disrupted
• shows interest and rapport

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Interruption vs. Overlap (Tannen 1990)

• High-considerateness style
• favour longer pauses
• averse to overlaps
• await TRP
• no sudden topic shifts

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Conclusion

• different conversational styles
• subculture, culture, individual style and
  predisposition
• situation
• hierarchy / relationship of the speakers

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• research is still going on.