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Interactional Functions of Nodding in Conversation.

  • The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea
  • Abbr : 사회언어학
  • 2012, 20(1), pp.1-26
  • Publisher : The Sociolinguistic Society Of Korea
  • Research Area : Humanities > Linguistics

Kim, Hyun-kang 1

1연세대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

People communicate, as we know, not only with the spoken language but also with a body language. This study explores the interactional functions of nodding in the Korean dyadic conversations. Considering that conversation is an interactional achievement, nodding carried out the following functions. First, nodding generally supplements verbal message of the speaker and enables the listener to communicate without causing any verbal collision. It overcomes the limitation of the spoken language, which can only use one path called voice. Second, nodding functions as a signal for turn-taking in conversation. Choosing to nod rather than speaking can be interpreted, depending on the context, as a sign of listening or having an intention to yield the next turn or not to take the next turn in the conversation. Thus, it is also difficult to make the turn-taking system work without using non-verbal signals. Third, nodding enables the participants to respond to others without interrupting the conversation. Continual interaction regardless of turn-taking or communication content allows the participants to feel that the conversation is being accomplished smoothly. In that sense, nodding contributes decisively to the conversation as an interactional achievement. (187)

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