Discourse Patterns in First Language Use at Hcme and Second Language Learning at School: an Ethnographic Approach

Interpretation / 160

- to challenge an order, as in CS 06.22, 04, Otilia to her father who is
scolding her for not having carried water: how would I have been able
to carry that bucket full?

- to give reasons, as in:

CS 20.09, 03 and 04, Father and Fernando ComiBenting on a visitor

02 Fath. Vhy didn’t you give hia a chair?

03 Child yeah, there, there where we were, how could I have brought a
chair?

- to make sense of events, as in CS 06.03, 35, Mother to Otilla, asking
why some children had got bread and Otilia had not: would that mean
that they go to buy the bread without telling you? [that the bread has
been delivered to the shop]

- to make others think of a solution, as in

CS 04.02, 08 to 12 Sara and Grandmother making tea

08 Child I can't get the water froa the tank [while trying to]

09 GM can’t you?

10 Child no

11 GM and now? how are we going to have tea?

- to scold, as in CS 12.04, 13, Grandmother to Antonieta: You are teasing
me, am I your sister-in-law? [i.e., somebody you can tease?]

In all cases, in Rhetorical Questions speakers refer to some commonly
shared rules and invoke their authority in support of their own argument,
in the situation where children challenge adults. In most cases Rhetorical
Questions are in multiple-utterance turns, as the questioner does not
expect a reply.

5.5.2 Classroom Dialogue Texts

The analysis of Dialogue Texts shows that some patterns in information
exchange are consistent with those of home interactions and others are
not. It has already been noted that Dialogue Texts consist mostly of

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