Page 204 - Silence in Intercultural Communication

Chapter 5. Performance and perceptions of silence 191

46 my own opinion,(0.3) I have to take some
47 time to think (0.5) what my opinion is,
48 (0.3) why I (do) this (0.7) argument,
49 cause (0.6) even when I was writing (0.3)
50 something in Japan for school (0.2) work for
51 homework, (0.4) I wasn’t asked to: (.) give
52 (0.3) my opinion. (0.2) I just (0.2) could
53 get something from the book what it
54 says, (0.8) a:nd um I could say (0.5) I
55 (0.2) will agree or I will not agree, but
56 I couldn’t give much of my opinion why I
57 agree or why I don’t agree.(0.8). so: I
58 (0.2) sometimes still (0.2) find it hard
59 for me to ˚give my own opinion.˚
60 (0.5).
61 Lect: It’s also hard even for Australian school
62 kids, (0.3) because (0.3) the- the question
63 i:s, okay, the kids give their opinions
64 (0.2) but is your opinion ( ) acceptable.
65 (1.2) and are there a whole set- set of
66 answers ( ) which the
67 teachers will accept and tho:se they won’t
68 accept. (1.0) so to produce that- (
69 ), (0.4) teachers can be forming the
70 opinions of the students by saying this is
71 what’s acceptable ( ), so you
72 know, (1.2) ((Lect facing the class))
-> 73 Miki: ((head and gaze go down))
74 (0.3)
75 Lect: what about in Korea?
76 (0.6)
77 WS: I (0.2) um when I was in Korea, the teacher
78 is (wise) because ( ) students,
Here, the lecturer gives a comment from a different point of view after Miki’s
comment on a lack of familiarity with “giving one’s opinion.” Miki’s head goes
down in line 73, which seems to indicate that she has nothing to say in response
to this alternate view.