Topic 4: Examples of Conversational Repairs

Pica provides some useful illustrations of what clarification requests, confirmation checks and comprehension checks actually look like. For example, there are two clarification requests in Excerpt 1 (see arrow 1 at lines 2 and 5), one confirmation check in Excerpt 2 (see arrow 2 at line 3) and one clarification request (see arrow 1 at lines 7 and 8) and one comprehension check (see arrow 3 at line 11) in Excerpt 3:

Example 1

Learner (NNS English):

Interlocutor (NS English):
and they have the chwach there

--> 1 the what
the chwach ___ I know someone that-

--> 1 what does it mean
like um like American people they
always go there every Sunday

yes?
you know___every morning that there
pr- that- the American people get dressed
up to go to um chwach

oh to church____I see
(Pica, 1987, page 6).



Example 2

Learner (NNS English):

Interlocutor (NS English):
like us three months ago that the
SEPTA doft doft doft

--> 2 dropped?
No you lo- you lend me I am you

oh owes_____debt
debts okay they debt million of dollars

oh yeah yeah
(Pica, 1987, page 6).



Example 3

Learner (NNS English):

Interlocutor (NS English):
... so this young woman doctor hope this
young man doctor drive car, go home ...
Now this young woman boyfriend very angry ...
he want have a very no- good
idea for this girl

--> 1 which girl? the one who
--> 1 can't speak?
can't speak girl. and why? because
this this girl very angry also.
--> 3 you know what I mean

yes
(Pica, 1987, page 6).



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