Managing talk: The role of the chairperson in a teachers’ meetingA presentation by Andrew Boon(Toyo Gakuen University)

Meeting talk versus Ordinary talk

The role of the chairpersonControls turn allocation and transitionManages the agendaLeads and guides the discussionMaintains orderMaintains temporal pacing Establishes and maintains an environment in which participants relinquish conversational rightsEstablishes and maintains an environment in which participants orient to the institutional role of chairperson through their actions

The researchNaturally occurring data - Teachers’ meeting on procedural instruction-giving (12/2000)Participants - 1 chairperson, 3 native English teachers, 3 Japanese teachersObserver’s paradox? – negligibleProblems – length of tape, microphoneAnalysis – use Conversation Analysis to identify normative and deviant patterns of interaction within the meeting

The chairperson as turn allocaterOrdinary turn-taking mechanism:Meeting turn-taking: Participants relinquished the right to select the next speaker (See extract 1) orienting to chairperson as turn allocater.

Participants as turn allocatersParticipant first-pair part initiation moves are accountable:250] Mike: Just a question d’ya guys understand that deer in headlight reference?251] Erika: (0.5)°No°Or departures from established roles need to be marked:610] Mike: One thing were they actually doing something in that moment of silence(?) or?611] Chair: No.

The chairperson as turn coordinatorRound-turn allocation (See extract 1 – line 14).Constrains participants to respond:455] Erika: Well you guys already said what I [wanted to say]456] Chair: [Yeah, su:re]Participants seek permission for extra turns at talk:203] Yasuko: a::::nd er:r one more thing [I::::::: ]204] Chair: [Yeah]205] Yasuko: e:rrr if the presentation fails then like ((spoken while laughing)) the whole instructions will fa::il.Back-channeling as a control mechanism (See extract 1).

Deviant casesThe chairperson’s role of turn allocater can be undermined (See extract 2).Turns allocated by the chairperson do not always ensure the selected speaker a turn at talk (See extract 3).Back-channeling may allow the chairperson to successfully take the floor but not maintain it (See extract 4).

The chairperson as topic allocater / topic maintenance coordinatorAgenda and questions (See extract 1, line 14).Topics develop turn by turn but can drift, continue for too long, or prematurely lapse.The chairperson can steer participants back to the business at hand:510] Chair: So you fi::nd there’s less confusion with higher level?511] Mike: ER::RM I WOuldn’t say tha::t::.Or introduce new topics to prevent certain issues dominating or ending too soon:456] Chair: [Yeah su:re] (1.5) Something that I’d like t’ bring up (0.4) does anybody actually write down what they’re go::ing t’sa::y in the instruction-giving process?

Deviant casesThe chairperson’s role of topic allocater can be undermined (See extract 2).Brief delay to the start of the meeting (See extract 5).

ConclusionAttempts to determine the organized procedures of talk.Examines the role of the chairperson as it emerges locally, turn by turn through the orientations of participants to a constrained interactional environment.Has pedagogical implications for teachers, students, and material writers.For the full published paper, please refer to http://www.esp-world.info/Articles_12/ABoon%20article_.htm