Page 155 - Silence in Intercultural Communication

142 Silence in Intercultural Communication

distribution of self-selected and other-selected turns. Thus, figures obtained for
the first and the second categories were combined for analysis as a category of
self-selected turns, although they were also examined separately. The category of
‘individually offered floor’ in contrast with that of self-selected turns is accord-
ingly called other-selected turns, since turns are selected by others when the floor
is offered to a specific individual. The terms self-selection and other-selection are
derived from the notion of self-selecting and other-selecting in turn-taking rules,
which are central to conversation analysis as proposed by Sacks et al (1974).

5.4.3.1 Case Study 1
Comparing self-selected turns (Table 5.8) with other-selected turns (Table 5.9) in
the larger class in Case Study 1 (Teaching as a Profession), we can see that there are
clearly more self-selected than other-selected turns as a tendency of the group.

Table 5.8 Number and length of self-selected turns in Teaching as a Profession
Participant No. of classes Total number Total turn Average no. of Average turn
included of turns length turns per class length
Tadashi 2 0 0 0.0 0.0
Mark 1 32 296 32.0 9.3
Dave 1 27 288 27.0 10.7
Kylie 2 78 730 39.0 9.4
Michelle 1 34 385 34.0 11.3
Louise 1 16 128 16.0 8.0
Susie 1 0 0 0.0 0.0
Jenni 1 21 142 21.0 6.8
Pat 1 16 352 16.0 22.0
Average 20.6 8.6

Table 5.9 Number and length of other-selected turns in Teaching as a Profession
Participant No. of classes Total number Total turn Average no. of Average turn
included of turns length turns per class length
Tadashi 2 2 3 1.0 1.5
Mark 1 2 13 2.0 6.5
Dave 1 4 20 4.0 5.0
Kylie 2 6 140 3.0 23.3
Michelle 1 0 0 0.0 0.0
Louise 1 1 2 1.0 2.0
Susie 1 1 4 1.0 4.0
Jenni 1 1 1 1.0 1.0
Pat 1 3 28 3.0 9.3
Average 1.8 5.8