Discourse in an EFL setting

Abstract

Turn taking is an important micro-skill in conversation and being governed to some extent by the cultural context, it may need to be explicitly taught while training learners for proficiency, interactional success, and performance in a foreign language. The premise is that these learners are being trained to fulfil a prospective need for interaction with native or second language speakers. Moreover, in the language classroom, smooth functioning and transfer of information can only be ensured when learners’ current turn taking patterns and the desirable ones are compared. This study aims to observe the active factors in the process of turn taking using Sacks et al.'s (1978) as the theoretical basis in the first year tutorial EFL class with a total of eight intermediate and upper intermediate learners at Qassim University, KSA. Video recorded data from twelve speaking skills analysed using a speech analysis software (Praat V 6.2.22 version) along with time notations, discourse particles, overlaps, and turn transfer notes taken simultaneously. Data showed that the EFL learners most frequently took self-select (241 times) as the form of turn taking while the role of particles in turn transfer was minimal, indicating the learners’ poor paralinguistic skills in English.