Schisming: The Collaborative Transformation From a Single Conversation to Multiple Conversations

Shaping Participation in Vocational Training Interactions: The Case of Schisming

“…In our data a great number of situations emerge where interventions initiated by mentors result in parallel conversations and produce what has been referred to as schisming (Egbert 1993(Egbert , 1997Traverso 2012). Schisming can be de ned as a speci c interactional pattern emerging within multiparty settings, when four or more participants (professionals and children) build together complex interactional participatory congurations with two or more co-occurrent conversations (Filliettaz 2014;Filliettaz et al 2014).…”

“…e interactional phenomenon of parallel conversations has already been described in the literature as something speci c to multiparty conversations revealing a practical way for participants to orient toward a momentary reorganization of the topical development of their talk without interrupting the main topic of discussion (Egbert 1993(Egbert , 1997Grosjean 2001;Traverso 2004). ese studies also mention how these parallel conversations in uence each other in such a way that the interactional boundary between them should be considered as porous.…”

“…ese studies also mention how these parallel conversations in uence each other in such a way that the interactional boundary between them should be considered as porous. Indeed, Egbert (1997) shows how participants to parallel conversations are sensitive to the ways discussions evolve next to one another. is fundamentally interactive character of parallel conversations reveals intricate coordination processes between interactants and the incorporation of a mutual understanding of what is happening.…”

“…ese conversations are held simultaneously by the student and the mentor with two di erent children or groups of children. To investigate the conditions in which these parallel conversations or schisming emerge Egbert 1997), we look into the sequential organization around these conversations and more particularly into: (a) the schism-inducing procedures, namely the moment when a conversation begins to split up into two parts, (b) the speci c ways parallel conversations are maintained and mutually adjusted, and nally, (c) the moment when the two parallel talks merge back into a single conversation again. e sequential organization of schisming raises important analytical questions about the interactional organization of the unfolding activity.…”

The Achievement of Intersubjectivity through Embodied Completions: A Study of Interactions Between First and Second Language Speakers

“…described by CA studies appear to operate across different languages and cultures (e.g. Sorjonen 1996Sorjonen , 2001Hakulinen 2001;on Finnish;Egbert 1996Egbert , 1997aEgbert , 1997bGolato 2000Golato , 2002on German;Mori 1999;Tanaka 1999;Hayashi 2003; on Japanese; Kim 1999Kim , 2001Park 1999Park , 2002; on Korean; Wu 2004 on Mandarin; to name a few). And if so, it is not difficult to imagine that the participants of intercultural interactions will share at least some of these fundamental, seemingly universal, patterns of interaction, and rely on them to accomplish interactional moves.…”