The Structure of Conversation
January 29, 2007 |
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Conversation is highly structured, and people's ability to get their
stuff on the table depends on their ability to make strategic use of
conversational conventions. First and foremost is the structure of
turn-taking, and people's ability to get, hold, and allocate the
floor. Different people and communities of practice may have very
different styles of conversation, and different cultures may have
quite different conversational conventions altogether. Today's class
begins with the nuts and bolts of conversational turn-taking, and
moves on to a few conversational devices.
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