This qualitative study aims to describe some interactional uses of öh [ø], a commonly used particle both in Italian and in other Italian-Romance varieties, from the perspective of conversation analysis (Schegloff, 2007). The research is based on a corpus of 59 instances from informal phone calls between friends, face-to-face conversations, and interviews in standard and regional Italian. The analysis shows that öh appears in responsive turns both as a free-standing turn-constructional unit and as a turn preface, either alone or in combination with other words. In the sequential context analyzed here - the response to a polar question, a B-event statement (i.e., a statement that indicate privileged, first-hand knowledge to a topic by the interlocutor, and which is usually treated as request for confirmation; cf. Labov and Fanshel, 1977: 100) or other types of informational turns - öh is used by participants to confirm from an epistemically qualified position. Finally, öh can take on distinct prosodic contours, lending itself to remarkable modulations that can emphasize the participant’s stance (cf. Gardner 2001).

This conversation analytic study describes the interactional uses of ciò [ʧɔ], a pragmatic particle that is used both in the regional Italian spoken in Veneto (a region of northeastern Italy) and in Trevigiano (Trevixàn [trevi’zaŋ]), an Italo-Romance variety widely used in the Treviso area. Preliminary results show that ciò (derived from the imperative form of the verb ciór/tòr ([ʧor]/[tɔr] ‘to take’) is mostly used as a preface in responsive position and is frequently preceded by the particle eh. In our data, the (eh) ciò-prefaced turns are designed as general, objective, obvious contributions through which participants provide a wider perspective on the topic while treating the preceding talk as defective or not dealing with relevant aspects of the subject under discussion. This study contributes to the documentation of linguistic forms that are used by speakers of an Italo-Romance variety as conversational resources in talk-in-interaction.

This case study adopts the theory and method of conversation analysis to examine recorded dialogues in three textbooks for Spanish as a Foreign Language used in Swedish secondary education. The analyses of these conversations reveal some problematic patterns regarding the sequence of actions, the systematic presence of gaps between turns at talk, and a frequent lack of coordination between co-participants. Other phenomena that are typical of spontaneous interactions, such as overlaps between turns, repair sequences or co-constructions, are completely missing in the analyzed materials. From the perspective of communicative and action-oriented language teaching, the article maintains that in the preparation of this type of pedagogical supports, the authors should consider the close relationship between spoken language and social action.

This conversation analytic study describes the uses of ciò ([ʧɔ]) in talk-in-interaction. This discourse marker is documented as a linguistic resource in several Venetan Italo-Romance varieties still widely spoken in the Veneto region, and it is also frequently used in the regional Italian spoken in that area. The data come from informal telephone calls and from family dinner conversations in both Italian and Trevigiano ([trevi’zaŋ]), which is a dialect spoken in the Treviso area. Preliminary results show that ciò (derived from the imperative form of the Venetan verb ciór / tór / tòr ([ʧor] / [tor] / [tɔr], ‘to take’)) is mainly mobilized as turn preface, often preceded by other particles. However, ciò is also found within the turn and, in a limited number of cases, in turn-final position. From a sequential point of view, in our data ciò occurs almost exclusively in responsive turns. This study shows that a conversation analytic approach yields a much more comprehensive understanding not only of specific structures of spoken languages but also of the complex relations existing between different linguistic varieties in Italy. 

Basato sui principi teorici e metodologici dell’analisi della conversazione, questo studio de- scrive gli usi in interazione di ciò ([ʧɔ]), un segnale discorsivo presente in diverse varietà italo-romanze ancora ampiamente diffuse in Veneto, ma frequente anche nell’italiano regionale parlato in quest’area. I dati provengono da telefonate informali e da conversazioni in famiglia, in italiano e in dialetto trevigiano ([trevi’zaŋ]). I risultati preliminari mostrano che ciò (dalla forma imperativa del verbo veneto ciór / tór / tòr ([ʧor] / [tor] / [tɔr], ‘prendere’) è usato principalmente all’inizio del turno di parola, spesso preceduto da altre particelle. Tuttavia ciò si trova spesso all’interno e, in un numero limitato di casi, anche alla fine del turno. Dal punto di vista sequenziale, nei nostri dati la presenza di ciò è riscontrabile in maniera presso- ché esclusiva in turni di risposta. Questo studio dimostra che un approccio metodologico di tipo analitico conversazionale può dare un utile contributo alla comprensione non solo di strutture e fenomeni carat- teristici del parlato ma anche delle complesse relazioni esistenti tra varietà linguistiche diverse in Italia. 

This article applies a conversational approach to the analysis of the video courses from four L2/FL Italian textbooks currently on the market in order to explore their interactional characteristics. The qualitative analysis shows that these teaching materials share many traits with the so-called parlato filmico (virtual absence of all the phenomena characterizing spontaneous conversations, syntactically complete utterances etc.). In addition, some problematic aspects concerning the temporality and sequentiality of actions have been identified which make these interactions qualitatively different from natural ones. In general, comprehensibility seems to be privileged at the expense of plausibility in the production of these sit-coms. The results of this study show that these interactions are only partially similar to spontaneous ones, and thus not entirely suitable for educational use aimed at supporting the development of the learners’ interactional competence.

Questo studio pilota adotta la metodologia dell’Analisi della Conversazione per esplorare il tipo e la funzione dei segnali di risposta usati da studenti svedesi di italiano LS impegnati in un’attività didattica in classe. L’interesse nei confronti di queste risorse linguistiche risiede nel fatto che esse sono una delle componenti centrali di ciò che definiamo competenza interazionale, ovvero l’abilità da parte del parlante di produrre attraverso i propri turni delle azioni socialmente riconoscibili, che rispondano in modo adeguato e in tempo reale a quelle prodotte dai copartecipanti all’interazione 

This conversation-analytic study investigates the use of code switching (henceforth CS) in three Italian L2 classrooms in Sweden. Specifically, when and why do teachers code switch in their questions? Is the language choice pedagogically motivated? Does the teachers’ language choice have an influence over the students’ language choice in their answers? The data were collected from three beginner-level Italian lessons in two Swedish High Schools. Transcripts of questions in which CS occurred were analyzed using a conversation analytic approach with a focus on sequentiality in relation to the organization of turn allocation, to understand when and why the CS occurs in both questions and answers. In our data teachers use CS when posing questions to the class in two major occasions, namely when the question is followed by a significant silence but also when no discernible silence follows a question. Furthermore, regardless of the language used by the teacher, the students answer in Italian when the questions are task-based, and in Swedish when the questions are off-task.

Questo studio analitico-conversazionale esplora il modo in cui tre gruppi di studenti liceali di spagnolo come lingua straniera svolgono un compito chiamato "sciarada". In particolare, il presente contributo esamina come i partecipanti portano progressivamente a termine il compito attraverso l'uso di varie risorse semiotiche. Nella sciarada, ogni gruppo di studenti riceve un mazzo di cartoncini, ciascuno con una frase in spagnolo. Gli studenti, a turno, scelgono un cartoncino e ne mimano la frase, in modo da farla indovinare ai compagni. La ricerca qui presentata si concentra su come i partecipanti rispondono alle soluzioni proposte e, più in generale, all'interpretazione del compito adottata dai compagni. In particolare, l'analisi mostra come l'accettazione e il rifiuto delle ipotesi dei partecipanti e delle loro interpretazioni si realizzano con diverse configurazioni di risorse linguistiche, prosodiche e gestuali, configurazioni distribuite lungo un continuum di intensità emotiva. Questa ricerca contribuisce allo studio dell'insegnamento basato sui compiti (task-based instruction ) nel campo dell'analisi della conversazione applicata all'insegnamento delle lingue seconde attraverso l'analisi del ruolo delle emozioni esibite dai partecipanti nella realizzazione di compiti intesi come attività (tasks-as-activities ).

This case study, inspired by the principles of conversation analysis, examines two recorded conversations from a manual for teaching Italian as a second language. It analyzes certain salient characteristics of these conversations based on what we know about spontaneous speech from conversation analysis studies (Schegloff, 2007). The detailed analysis of the conversations highlights their problematic nature, especially with regard to the sequentiality of actions, which results in the frequent absence of coordination between conversation shifts. Other phenomena typical of spontaneous verbal interaction, such as overlaps and reparations, are often absent. In essence, these are conversations that are not suitable for instructional approaches that encourage learners to reflect on the details of spoken interaction. The article proposes an analysis model of these audio scripts that takes into consideration the close relationship between language, the sequential structure of speech, and social interaction.