Page 142 - Silence in Intercultural Communication

Chapter 5. Performance and perceptions of silence 129

(19) [Interaction: Miki]

-> 173 Miki: I- i- is that because you are (0.3) making
174 some- (0.2) you are causing some problems
175 before, (0.5) to some oth[ers?]
176 Molly: [U::m] not so much
177 of that, but u:m (0.5) what’s the good
178 term, (0.2) u:m (3.0)u:m (0.9) like m- may
179 be if you had helped mo:re, (0.2) if,
180 (0.2)o:r even done something it might not
181 have happened like u:m
182 Lect: Well just like the example he gave;
183 Molly: Mmm[m.
184 Lect: [where he’s- she knocked his
((points to Billy))
185 (0.4)
186 Bill: This is my drink. (0.5) He knocked it
187 over,= I say say sorry. (1.2) Even though he
188 caused it.
-> 189 (0.8)
190 Molly: Yeah might be that you feel
-> 191 Miki: Ah:,
192 Molly: that you shouldn’t have that drink
193 [( )]
194 Bill: [Well he’ll he’ll probably ] say sorry

Thus again, Miki’s response to Bill’s question is suspended. Towards the end of the
discussion, the lecturer returns to this focus, seen in the next excerpt (line 224).
Miki responds with a clarification question after 0.4 seconds. Bill and Molly re-
spond to this request for clarification, and Miki overlaps their turns with “I just.”
As Miki withdraws from her turn due to the overlap, there is another pause (line
231), and Gary gives a full rephrasing of the question in lines 232–233. Then in
line 234, another pause exceeding one second precedes Miki’s response.

(20) [Interaction: Miki]

219 Molly: Mm:: [yeah.
220 Gary: [Yeah. I don’t know °( )°
221 Just °it's automatic probably°. (0.2) An
222 accident happens and you just say sorry,
223 (1.0)
224 Lect: Well what would you do in Japanese.
-> 225 (0.4)