HESITATION AND TURN-TAKING IN SPOKEN DISCOURSE
Keywords:
hesitation; turn-taking; spoken discourse; conversation analysis; pauses; fillers; discourse managementAbstract
This article examines the linguistic phenomena of hesitation and turn-taking as fundamental components of spoken interaction. Hesitation, manifested through pauses, filled pauses, repetitions, and self-repairs, has traditionally been interpreted as a sign of cognitive difficulty. However, contemporary research demonstrates that hesitation also performs significant interactional and pragmatic functions, signaling speakers’ intentions and shaping conversational flow. Turn-taking, meanwhile, governs the organization of speaker transitions and ensures the orderly progression of dialogue. Drawing on Conversation Analysis and psycholinguistic research, the article explores how hesitation interacts with the mechanisms of turn-taking, influencing the allocation of turns and contributing to the negotiation of conversational rights. The interrelationship between these phenomena reveals the complexity of real-time speech production and highlights the dynamic nature of human communication.
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