Page 148 - Silence in Intercultural Communication

Chapter 5. Performance and perceptions of silence 135

(28) [Interaction: Tadashi, Teaching as a Profession]

34 Kylie: [You have to study to]
35 Gary: [You have to (0.2) ni]fty ja:rgon (.) if
36 you are a professional (0.2)
37 ((Class laugh))
38 Gary: So [that n]o =
39 Dave: [Profe-]
40 Gary: =one e[lse ( ) gonna say to them?]
41 Dave: [profession (it offers you money)]
42 but I think it’s mo:re specialised
43 (0.2)
44 Gary: Yeah.=
45 Dave: =knowledge
46 ?: Mm:=
47 Dave: [=knowledge based] knowledge based
48 ?: [=Knowledge based]
49 Dave: ( ) whereas trade’s more
50 (0.4)
51 ?: Uh:=
52 Dave: =obscure.
53 (0.5)
54 ?: Yeah, trade’s obscure. [Yeah].
55 Dave: [(But s]ti[ll )]
56 ?: [They]
57 don’t (actively)=
58 FS1: =No actually my dad’s just (0.4) he’s a
59 tradesman, (0.4) he’s a plumber but- (0.4)
60 he’s had to do courses (0.4) all the time=

The competition for the floor can be found in lines 34 and 35 between Kylie and
Gary, from lines 38 through to 41 between Gary and Dave, and from lines 47 to 57
between Dave and an unidentified student, and then in line 58 FS1 interrupts the
previous speaker at a spot far from the TRP. There are inter-turn pauses, but they
are relatively short (0.2, 0.4 and 0.5 seconds). Lines 34 and 35 follow Tadashi’s si-
lence of 1.5 seconds in his nominated turn, but once the floor opens for the whole
group and the timing of turn-taking becomes fast-paced, it becomes almost im-
possible for Tadashi to claim his right to respond to the lecturer’s question.
The next excerpt is also from Case Study 1, but from the smaller class, Curric-
ulum and Examinations, which Tadashi attended. The lecturer in line 7 opens the
floor to the class with a question about having students from two different levels