University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Spanish and American turn-taking styles and the misinterpretation of each in cross-cultural conversations

Berry, Anne Genevieve

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125868

Description

Title
Spanish and American turn-taking styles and the misinterpretation of each in cross-cultural conversations
Author(s)
Berry, Anne Genevieve
Issue Date
1992
Department of Study
Linguistics
Discipline
Teaching English as a Second Language
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • Teaching English as Second Language
  • Turn-taking Styles
  • Cross-cultural Conversations
  • English Conversations
  • Communication Rules
  • Cooperative Communication
  • Bilingual Spanish Women
  • Playback Interviews
  • Assumptions Underlying Turn-taking
Language
eng
Abstract
Research on turn taking in English indicates that there are rules that Americans follow when organizing their conversations. Following these rules, consciously or subconsciously, helps ensure a good conversation because the rules are based on what Americans consider polite, cooperative and efficient. Research on turn taking in other languages, and even in different dialects of English, indicates that the organization of conversation is sometimes different. I have found that the turn-taking styles of some native Spanish speakers is different from that of American speakers of English, and that those differences can cause both groups to misinterpret the other's intentions. The data consist of four one-hour segments of dinner conversation involving four bilingual Spanish women, and four American women. I examined the turn-taking styles of the participants, paying special attention to overlap and use of backchannel. Then I conducted playback interviews with each of the participants and administered questionnaires to six other non-participant informants in order to determine what assumptions underlie the different turn-taking styles.
Type of Resource
text
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125868
Copyright and License Information
Copyright owned by the author.

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