Other-initiated self-repair

Encyclopedia of Terminology for CA and IL: Other-initiated self-repair
Author(s):	Irina Mostovaia (University of Hamburg, Germany) (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1381-050X) & Martin Pfeiffer (University of Potsdam, Germany) (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5175-3657)
To cite:	Mostovaia, Irina, & Pfeiffer, Martin. (2023). Other-initiated self-repair. In Alexandra Gubina, Elliott M. Hoey & Chase Wesley Raymond (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Terminology for Conversation Analysis and Interactional Linguistics. International Society for Conversation Analysis (ISCA). DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/CYMZ3

Other-initiated self-repair refers to the range of practices available to the producer of a trouble source to solve the interactional problem indicated by the recipient providing an other-initiation of repair (Liddicoat 2007: 173-177, 189-196; Schegloff, et al. 1977; among others; for other-initiated self-repair as post-first insertion sequence, see Schegloff 2007: 100-106). The following extract, taken from Benjamin (2013), contains an other-initiation “who” (line 3) provided in next position addressing the problem of reference in Kim’s turn in line 1 (cf. next turn repair initiations; Schegloff, et al. 1977; Schegloff 2000):

[CallHome-4844, 5:26] (Benjamin 2013: 3)

01  Kim:    she had a baby right
02          (0.2)
03  Jill:   who
04          (0.5) 
05  Kim:    your sister in law=
06  Jill:   =yeah yeah (.) yeah 

Current research distinguishes different types of interactional problems other-initiated self-repair can deal with:

1. problems of hearing: the recipient has failed to hear the trouble-source turn or a part of it (Couper-Kuhlen & Selting 2018: 147-162; Schegloff, et al. 1977);
2. problems of reference: the recipient has failed to recognize the reference provided in the trouble-source turn (Auer 1984; Egbert, et al. 2009; Sidnell 2007a);
3. problems of understanding: the recipient has failed to interpret the meaning of the trouble-source turn or a part of it (Couper-Kuhlen & Selting 2018: 170-188; Schegloff, et al. 1977);
4. problems of acceptability or expectation: the trouble-source turn or a part of it clashes with the recipient’s knowledge or expectations (Benjamin & Walker 2013; Couper-Kuhlen & Selting 2018: 188-195; Schegloff, et al. 1977; Selting 1987a, 1987b; Svennevig 2008).

To display an interactional problem, the recipient can deploy a range of formats for other-initiation of repair (Benjamin 2013; Birkner, et al. 2020: 382-389; Couper-Kuhlen & Selting 2018: 144-201; Egbert 2009: 99-108; Schegloff, et al. 1977: 367-368; for cross-linguistic research on other-initiation, see Dingemanse & Enfield 2015). These formats differ in their ability to locate the trouble and to indicate the type of problem and, thus, can be arranged in order from least to most specific – or in other terms from 'weaker' to 'stronger' – formats, as shown below (for the preference of 'stronger' over 'weaker' formats see Couper-Kuhlen & Selting 2018: 140-142; Egbert 2017; Schegloff, et al. 1977; Sidnell 2010: 117-119):

1. “open” class repair initiations (e.g., huh, sorry, class-unspecific what; Drew 1997; Egbert 1996; Enfield, et al. 2013);
2. class-specific interrogatives (e.g., who, what, where; Egbert & Vöge 2008; Golato 2013; Golato & Golato 2015);
3. interrogatives with partial repeat of the trouble-source turn (Golato 2013; Golato & Golato 2015);
4. repeats (partial repeats, incomplete repeats, and full repeats of the trouble-source turn; Curl 2005; Robinson & Kevoe-Feldman 2010; Robinson 2013; Rossi 2020a)
5. copular interrogative clauses (e.g., Who is X? where X is the repeated trouble source; Kendrick 2015; Sidnell 2007a)
6. metacommunicatively explicit initiations (e.g., I don’t understand that. or What do you mean?; Egbert 2009; Raymond & Sidnell 2019; Selting 1987a)
7. candidate solutions (candidate understandings, candidate hearings, and candidate references, e.g., prefaced by you mean; Benjamin 2012; Koshik 2005; Sidnell 2007b; Svennevig 2008)

Additionally, there is a growing body of research on bodily resources that are (additionally) used for other-initiation of repair (cf. Floyd, et al. 2016; Mortensen 2012, 2016; among others). So far, research in this area has focused on resources such as gaze (Egbert 1996; Rossi 2020b), facial expressions (cf. Manrique 2016; Oloff 2018; Skedsmo 2020; Rossi 2020b), head movements (Oloff 2018; Rossi 2020b; Seo & Koshik 2010), and other body movements (for ‘leaning forward’ cf. Rasmussen 2014; for body torques and suspensions of manual tasks cf. Kamunen 2019).

By choosing particular formats of other-initiation, interlocutors can also handle various social aspects, e.g., negotiate responsibility for the occurrence of the trouble source or for providing the other-initiation (Dingemanse, et al. 2014), display their epistemic status concerning the trouble-source turn (Bolden 2013, 2018; Robinson 2013), or manage face work (Robinson 2006; Selting 1987c).

An other-initiation makes a repair solution (also occasionally termed repair proper) conditionally relevant. The provided repair solution mostly occurs in the turn after the turn containing the repair initiation and is related to the type of trouble it deals with and to the preceding other-initiation. For instance, problems of hearing indicated by “open” class repair initiations are often resolved by the repetition of the trouble-source turn or a part of it. Candidate solutions addressing problems of hearing, understanding or reference, however, can be confirmed or rejected and then corrected (cf. Couper-Kuhlen & Selting 2018: 144-201, as well as the entry on self-repair operations).

Other-initiations of repair do not only serve as interactional resources for re-establishing intersubjectivity but can also be used – additionally or alternatively – for accomplishing other actions, e.g., displays of surprise or disbelief or preliminaries to dispreferred actions (Kendrick 2015: 181-187; Schegloff 1997; Selting 1996).

Additional Related Entries:

• Self-initiated self-repair
• Same-turn self-repair
• Third turn repair
• Third position repair
• Transition-relevance place (TRP)
• Turn-at-talk
• Turn-constructional unit (TCU)

Cited References:

Auer, P. (1984). Referential Problems in Conversation. Journal of Pragmatics, 8, 627–648.

Benjamin, T. (2012). When Problems Pass Us By Using “You Mean” to Help Locate the Source of Trouble. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 45(1), 82–109.

Benjamin, T. (2013). Signaling Trouble: On the Linguistic Design of Other-Initiation of Repair in English Conversation. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Groningen.

Benjamin, T., & Walker, T. (2013). Managing Problems of Acceptability Through High Rise-Fall Repetitions. Discourse Processes, 50(2), 107–138.

Birkner, K., Auer, P., Bauer, A., & Kotthoff, H. (2020). Einführung in die Konversationsanalyse. De Gruyter.

Bolden, G. B. (2013). Unpacking ‘Self’: Repair and Epistemics in Conversation. Social Psychology Quarterly, 76(4), 314–342.

Bolden, G. B. (2018). Speaking ‘out of Turn’: Epistemics in Action in Other-Initiated Repair. Discourse Studies, 20(1), 142–162.

Couper-Kuhlen, E., & Selting, M. (2018). Interactional Linguistics. Studying Language in Social Interaction. Cambridge University Press.

Curl, T. S. (2005). Practices in Other-Initiated Repair Resolution: The Phonetic Differentiation of ‘Repetitions’. Discourse Processes, 39(1), 1–43.

Dingemanse, M., Blythe, J., & Dirksmeyer, T. (2014). Formats for Other-Initiation of Repair across Languages: An Exercise in Pragmatic Typology. Studies in Language, 38(1), 5–43.

Dingemanse, M., & Enfield, N. J. (2015). Special issue on other-initiated repair across languages. Open Linguistics, 1(1).

Drew, P. (1997). ‘Open’ Class Repair Initiators in Response to Sequential Sources of Troubles in Conversation. Journal of Pragmatics, 28, 69–101.

Egbert, M. (1996). Context-sensitivity in conversation: Eye gaze and the German repair initiator 'bitte?'. Language in Society, 25, 587–612.

Egbert, M. (2009). Der Reparatur-Mechanismus in deutschen Gesprächen. Verlag für Gesprächsforschung.

Egbert, M. (2017). Selection principles of other-initiated repair turn formats: Some indications from positioned questions. In G. H. Lerner, G. Raymond, & J. Heritage (Eds.) Enabling Human Conduct: Studies of Talk-in-Interaction in Honor of Emanuel A. Schegloff (pp. 167–184). John Benjamins.

Egbert, M., Golato, A., & Robinson, J. D. (2009). Repairing reference. In J. Sidnell (Ed.) Conversation Analysis: Comparative Perspectives (pp. 104–132). Cambridge University Press. .

Egbert, M., & Vöge, M. (2008). Wh-interrogative formats used for questioning and beyond: German warum (‘why’) and wieso (‘why’) and English why. Discourse Studies, 10, 17–36.

Enfield, N. J., Dingemanse, M., Baranova, J., Blythe, J., Brown, P., Dirksmeyer, T., Drew, P., Floyd, S., Gipper, S., Gísladóttir, R. S., Hoymann, G., Kendrick, K. H., Levinson, S. C., Magyari, L., Manrique, E., Rossi, G., San Roque, L., Torreira, F. (2013). Huh? What? – A first survey in 21 languages. In M. Hayashi, G. Raymond, & J. Sidnell (Eds.) Conversational Repair and Human Understanding (pp. 343–380). Cambridge University Press.

Floyd, S., Manrique, E., Rossi, G., & Torreira, F. (2016). Timing of Visual Bodily Behavior in Repair Sequences: Evidence from Three Languages. Discourse Processes, 53(3), 175–204.

Golato, A. (2013). Reparaturen von Personenreferenzen. Deutsche Sprache, 41, 31–51.

Golato, A., & Golato, P. (2015). Reference repair in German and French. Journal of Pragmatics, 87, 218–237.

Kamunen, A. (2019). How to Disengage: Suspension, Body Torque, and Repair. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 52(4), 406–426.

Kendrick, K. H. (2015). Other-initiated repair in English. Open Linguistics 1(1), 164–190.

Koshik, I. (2005). Alternative Questions Used in Conversational Repair. Discourse Studies, 7(2), 193–¬211.

Liddicoat, A. J. (2007). An Introduction to Conversation Analysis. Continuum.

Manrique, Elizabeth (2016). Other-initiated Repair in Argentine Sign Language. Open Linguistics, 2, 1–34.

Mortensen, K. (2012). Visual initiations of repair – some preliminary observations. Conference paper.

Mortensen, K. (2016). The Body as a Resource for Other-Initiation of Repair: Cupping the Hand Behind the Ear. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 49(1), 34–57.

Oloff, F. (2018). “Sorry?”/“Como?”/“Was?” – Open class and embodied repair initiators in international workplace interactions. Journal of Pragmatics, 126, 29–51.

Rasmussen, G. (2014). Inclined to better understanding: The coordination of talk and ‘leaning forward’ in doing repair. Journal of Pragmatics, 65, 30–45.

Raymond, G., & Sidnell, J. (2019). Interaction at the Boundaries of a World Known in Common: Initiating Repair with “What Do You Mean?”. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 52(2), 177–192.

Robinson, J. D. (2006). Managing Trouble Responsibility and Relationships during Conversational Repair. Communication Monographs, 73(2), 137–161.

Robinson, J. D. (2013). Epistemics, action formation, and other-initiation of repair: The case of partial questioning repeats. In M. Hayashi, G. Raymond, & J. Sidnell (Eds.) Conversational Repair and Human Understanding (pp. 261¬–292). Cambridge University Press.

Robinson, J. D., & Kevoe-Feldman, H. (2010). Using Full Repeats to Initiate Repair on Others’ Questions. Research on Language and Social Interaction 43(3), 232–259.

Rossi, G. (Ed.) (2020a). Special issue: Other-Repetition in Conversation across Languages. Language in Society, 49(4).

Rossi, G. (2020b). The prosody of other-repetition in Italian: A system of tunes. Language in Society, 49(4), 619–652.

Schegloff, E. A. (1997). Practices and Actions: Boundary Cases of Other-Initiated Repair. Discourse Processes, 23(3), 499–545.

Schegloff, E. A. (2000). When ‘Others’ Initiate Repair. Applied Linguistics, 21(2), 205–243.

Schegloff, E. A. (2007). Sequence Organization in Interaction: A Primer in Conversation Analysis (Vol. 1). Cambridge University Press.

Schegloff, E. A., Jefferson, G., & Sacks, H. (1977). The preference for self-correction in the organization of repair in conversation. Language, 53(2), 361–382.

Selting, M. (1987a). Verständigungsprobleme. Eine empirische Analyse am Beispiel der Bürger-Verwaltungs-Kommunikation. Niemeyer.

Selting, M. (1987b). Reparaturen und lokale Verstehensprobleme. Oder: Zur Binnenstruktur von Reparatursequenzen. Linguistische Berichte, 108(9), 128¬–149.

Selting, M. (1987c). Imagearbeit bei der Behandlung von Verständigungsproblemen in Gesprächen. In W. Abraham, & R. Arhammar (Eds.) Linguistik in Deutschland: Akten des 21. Linguistischen Kolloquiums. Niemeyer.

Selting, M. (1996). Prosody as an activity-type distinctive cue in conversation: The case of so-called “astonished” questions in repair initiation. In E. Couper-Kuhlen, & M. Selting (Eds.) Prosody in Conversation (pp. 231–270). Cambridge University Press.

Seo, M.-S., & Koshik, I. (2010). A conversation analytic study of gestures that engender repair in ESL conversational tutoring. Journal of Pragmatics, 42(8), 2219–2239.

Sidnell, J. (2007a). Repairing person reference in a small Caribbean community. In N. J. Enfield, & T. Stivers (Eds.), Person Reference in Interaction: Linguistic, Cultural, and Social Perspectives (pp. 281–308). Cambridge University Press.

Sidnell, J. (2007b). Comparative Studies in Conversation Analysis. Annual Review of Anthropology, 36(1), 229¬–244.

Sidnell, J. (2010). Conversation Analysis: An Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell.

Skedsmo, Kristian (2020). Other-initiations of repair in Norwegian Sign Language. Social Interaction. Video-Based Studies of Human Sociality, 3(2), 1–43.

Svennevig, J. (2008). Trying the easiest solution first in other-initiation of repair. Journal of Pragmatics, 40(2), 333–¬348.

Additional References:

Aleksius, M., & Saukah, A. (2018). Other-Initiated Repair Strategies in Solving Understanding Problems in EFL Learners Conversations. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 12(1), 105–117.

Antaki, C. (2012). Affiliative and Disaffiliative Candidate Understandings. Discourse Studies, 14(5), 531–547.

Benjamin, T., & Mazeland, H. (2012). Conversation Analysis and Other-initiated repair. In C. A. Chappele (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (pp. 1068–1075). Wiley-Blackwell.

Bolden, G. B. (2011). On the Organization of Repair in Multiperson Conversation: The Case of “Other”-Selection in Other-Initiated Repair Sequences. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 44(3), 237–262.

Bolden, G. B. (2014). Negotiating Understanding in Intercultural Moments in Immigrant Family Interactions. Communication Monographs, 81(2), 208¬–238.

Clift, R. (2016). Conversation Analysis. Cambridge University Press.

Dingemanse, M., Roberts, S. G., Baranova, J., Blythe, J., Drew, P., Floyd, S., Gísladóttir, R. S., Kendrick, K. H., Levinson, S. C., Manrique, E., Rossi, G., & Enfield, N. J. (2015). Universal Principles in the Repair of Communication Problems. PLoS One, 10(9).

Dingemanse, M., Kendrick, K. H. & Enfield, N. J. (2016). A Coding Scheme for Other-initiated Repair across Languages. Open Linguistics, 2, 35–46.

Egbert, M. (1997). Some interactional achievements of other-initiated repair in multiperson conversation. Journal of Pragmatics, 27(5), 611–634.

Egbert, M. (2004). Other-initiated repair and membership categorization: Some conversational events that trigger linguistic and regional membership categorization. Journal of Pragmatics, 36(8), 1467¬–1498.

Fox, B. A., Benjamin, T., & Mazeland, H. (2012). Conversation Analysis and Repair Organization: Overview. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed.). 'The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (pp. 1094–1097). Wiley-Blackwell.

Golato, A. (2012). German oh: Marking an Emotional Change of State. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 45(3), 245–268.

Golato, A., & Betz, E. (2008). German ach and achso in repair uptake: Resources to sustain or remove epistemic asymmetry. Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft, 27(1), 7¬–37.

Hayashi, M., & Hayano, K. (2013). Proffering insertable elements: A study of other-initiated repair in Japanese. In M. Hayashi, G. Raymond, & J. Sidnell (Eds.), Conversational Repair and Human Understanding (pp. 293–321). Cambridge University Press.

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Hutchby, I., & Wooffitt, R. (1998). Conversation Analysis: Principles, Practices and Applications. Polity Press.

Kasper, G., & Prior, M. (2015). “You said that?”: Other-initiations of repair addressed to represented talk. Text & Talk, 35 (6), 815–844. https://doi.org/10.1515/text-2015-0024.

Kendrick, K. H. (2015). The intersection of turn-taking and repair: The timing of other-initiations of repair in conversation. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1–16.

Kim, K. (1993). Other-initiated repair sequences in Korean conversation as interactional resources. Japanese/Korean Linguistics, 3, 3-18.

Kim, K. (1999). Other-initiated repair sequences in Korean conversation: Types and functions. Discourse and Cognition, 6, 141–168.

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Schegloff, E. A. (1979). The Relevance of Repair for Syntax-for-Conversation. In T. Givón (Ed.) Syntax and Semanctics 12: Discourse and Syntax (pp. 261–¬286). Academic Press.

Schegloff, E. A. (2004). On Dispensability. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 37(2), 95–¬149.

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ten Have, P. (2007). Doing Conversation Analysis. Sage.

Weber, T. (2014). Shared background and repair in German conversation. Verlag für Gesprächsforschung.

Wu, R.-J. R. (2006). Initiating Repair and Beyond: The Use of Two Repeat-Formatted Repair Initiations in Mandarin Conversation. Discourse Processes, 41(1), 67–109.