Research
Exploring Turn-Taking and Discourse Markers through Generations
Abstract
While studies have explored organized turn-taking conventions (Schlegoff et. al 1974) and conversational analysis among friends (Tannen, 1984), less work has investigated how small units of discourse differ across generations (though see Schiffrin 1987 and Naya 2006). In this study, I audio-recorded conversations between female friends of two generations - Baby Boomers and Millennials – and compared the frequency and form of minimal feedback (i.e., “mm hm”, “yeah”) between the two groups. The results suggest that both the overall frequency of minimal feedback has changed over time, as well as the discourse markers used in giving minimal feedback.
Published on
30 Apr 2018.
Peer Reviewed
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