Chapter 12. Coordination of OKAY, nods, and gaze in claiming understanding and closing topics
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Henrike Helmer
Abstract
Our paper examines how bodily behavior contributes to the local meaning of OKAY. We explore the interplay between OKAY as response to informings and narratives and accompanying multimodal resources in German multi-party interaction. Based on informal and institutional conversations, we describe three different uses of OKAY with falling intonation and the recurrent multimodal patterns that are associated with them and that can be characterized as ‘multimodal gestalts’. We show that: 1. OKAY as a claim to sufficient understanding is typically accompanied by upward nodding; 2. OKAY after change-of-state tokens exhibits a recurrent pattern of up- and downward nodding with distinctive timing; and 3. OKAY closing larger activities is associated with gaze-aversion from the prior speaker.
Abstract
Our paper examines how bodily behavior contributes to the local meaning of OKAY. We explore the interplay between OKAY as response to informings and narratives and accompanying multimodal resources in German multi-party interaction. Based on informal and institutional conversations, we describe three different uses of OKAY with falling intonation and the recurrent multimodal patterns that are associated with them and that can be characterized as ‘multimodal gestalts’. We show that: 1. OKAY as a claim to sufficient understanding is typically accompanied by upward nodding; 2. OKAY after change-of-state tokens exhibits a recurrent pattern of up- and downward nodding with distinctive timing; and 3. OKAY closing larger activities is associated with gaze-aversion from the prior speaker.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. Data and methods used in the study of OKAY across languages 29
-
Generic sequential uses of OKAY across languages
- Chapter 3. OKAY in responding and claiming understanding 55
- Chapter 4. OKAY in closings and transitions 93
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OKAY in specific languages
- Chapter 5. The prosody and phonetics of OKAY in American English 131
- Chapter 6. Rising OKAY in third position in Danish talk-in-interaction 175
- Chapter 7. OKAY as a response to informings in Finnish 205
- Chapter 8. When OKAY is repeated 235
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OKAY in specific activities and settings
- Chapter 9. OKAY in health helpline calls in Brazil 269
- Chapter 10. A resource for action transition 301
- Chapter 11. OKAY projecting embodied compliance to directives 337
- Chapter 12. Coordination of OKAY, nods, and gaze in claiming understanding and closing topics 363
- Appendix. Transcription conventions and glossing symbols 395
- Bibliography 401
- Name index 433
- Subject index 437
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. Data and methods used in the study of OKAY across languages 29
-
Generic sequential uses of OKAY across languages
- Chapter 3. OKAY in responding and claiming understanding 55
- Chapter 4. OKAY in closings and transitions 93
-
OKAY in specific languages
- Chapter 5. The prosody and phonetics of OKAY in American English 131
- Chapter 6. Rising OKAY in third position in Danish talk-in-interaction 175
- Chapter 7. OKAY as a response to informings in Finnish 205
- Chapter 8. When OKAY is repeated 235
-
OKAY in specific activities and settings
- Chapter 9. OKAY in health helpline calls in Brazil 269
- Chapter 10. A resource for action transition 301
- Chapter 11. OKAY projecting embodied compliance to directives 337
- Chapter 12. Coordination of OKAY, nods, and gaze in claiming understanding and closing topics 363
- Appendix. Transcription conventions and glossing symbols 395
- Bibliography 401
- Name index 433
- Subject index 437
