Interpretation I 155
Teet Questlone are of particular interest, even if their frequency is not
high, for their pedagogical implications. The Test Question, or Request
for Known Information, is not a feature common to spontaneous
conversation, as it
violates one of the defining characteristics of request for
information, that the [questioner! does not have the information.
In response ... the listener may provide the information or a
reason why the information cannot be provided; the first speaker
then provides an evaluation of the adequacy and appropriateness
of the response (Cherry,1979:123)
42 cases were found in the data, and they are clearly related to the
function of the utterance, the purpose of the conversation and the
dynamic of Interaction. Almost all cases of adults asking for explanation
of phenomena (generalizations, see Table 5.9) are test questions. The Test
Questions are clustered in five conversations, and three of them involve
the same child; there are no isolated cases. The five conversations are
tutorial events dominated by the adults, and interaction is structured
along a 'Chaining' pattern with 'Arching' restricted to very few
clarification requests (see page 145).
Examples of Test questions by adults in tutorial events are:
CS 06.17 Otilia is with her parents. Father gives her permission to go
-k>
and buy some cakes; she goes a&d fetch the money. Mother wants
Otilia to count the money, asks the value of the coins, checks
if the child has understood, tries to get Otilla to make some
simple operations (see text in the following page);
CS 13.04 A neighbour tests Luis on his knowledge of Portuguese, asking
him to translate Tsonga words into Portuguese and the reverse;
CS 07.12 Ernesto is with his Grandmother in the yard, and is reading
(the pictures of) a school textbook to her. A conversation
develops where she wants Ernesto to Ieam the Portuguese word
for 'madman' (see full text at pages 119-120).
In CS 09.06, 07, 08 and 09 it is the child who is in a tutorial position:
Ilda is with her Grandmother and is reporting on a plane trip to the
Central Province of ZambAzla. The child explains the routines of take off,
and how air hostesses serve the meals, to the old woman. But, although