Barraja-Rohan2003

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Barraja-Rohan2003
BibType ARTICLE
Key Barraja-Rohan2003
Author(s) Anne-Marie Barraja-Rohan
Title Past troubles-talk in nonnative-native interviews
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Conversation Analysis, Native-nonnative interaction, Cross cultural communication, Troubles, Institutional talk, Interviews
Publisher
Year 2003
Language
City
Month
Journal Journal of Pragmatics
Volume 35
Number 4
Pages 615–629
URL Link
DOI 10.1016/S0378-2166(02)00126-1
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter
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Abstract

This study examines the telling of past troubles in three institutionally oriented interactions involving nonnative speakers of English of various Asian backgrounds and Australian native speakers. The analysis, based on conversation analysis, indicates that the telling of past troubles may arise unexpectedly in the course of an interaction, and that their telling is a negotiated event. Talking about past troubles occurred while the nonnative speakers were interviewing Australian native speakers who in relating their life story happened to reveal some past afflictions. These interviews were part of an assignment for an English as a second language class. The talk about troublesome past events may develop into past troubles-talk or may be conducted as story-telling depending on the participants' orientation to the activity. In effect, past-troubles talk is a collaborative accomplishment and participants may shift their orientation during the talk. Past troubles-talk is somewhat distinct from current troubles-talk, which has received more attention in the Conversation Analysis literature. Talk about past troubles may involve talking about delicate matters, which may pose further interactional difficulties when the recipient is a learner of English, which is the case in this study. This study examines the resources employed by the nonnative speakers when dealing with such talk and how this talk is co-constructed. This study contributes towards a better understanding of how learners of English interact in a setting outside the classroom.

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