Spoken Language Terminology - Discourse Structure

Question 1

What is a Discourse Marker?

Answer 1

Discourse Markers signal a shift in conversation & topic areas. They can also mark a counter-argument, e.g. ‘so’, ‘right’.

Question 2

What are Skip Repairs?

Answer 2

Skip Repairs return to previous topics (a type of discourse marker). E.g. ‘anyway’.

Question 3

What are False Starts?

Answer 3

False Starts occur when a speaker begins to talk, pauses, then recommences. E.g. ‘It began. It started..’

Question 4

What are Repairs?

Answer 4

Repairs are a return to correct a previously stated phrase. E.g. ‘He, sorry, she did it’.

Question 5

What are Tag Questions?

Answer 5

Tag Questions are an auxiliary verb + a negating participle + a pronoun. They can be a sign of speaker support, uncertainty or request for clarification. E.g. He’s right, isn’t he?’.

Question 6

What are Adjacency Pairs?

Answer 6

Adjacency Pairs link utterances produced by different people in a conversation. E.g. Q+As.

Question 7

What is Chaining?

Answer 7

Chaining is the linking together of adjacency pairs to form a longer unit.

Question 8

What are Topic Markers?

Answer 8

Topic Markers are utterances that introduce new topics. E.g. ‘You know Yasmine…’

Question 9

What are Topic Shifts?

Answer 9

Topic Shifts are points at which speakers move from one topic to another.

Question 10

What is Turn-Taking?

Answer 10

Turn-Taking is a process by which participants skillfully manipulate turns.

Question 11

What is Overlap?

Answer 11

Overlap is two or more speakers speaking at once.

Question 12

What are Topic Loops?

Answer 12

Topic Loops includes re-introducing an alternative topic.