Word searches: on the use of verbal and non-verbal resources during classroom talk

Finally, additional insight is gained from analysis of Ciara’s pitch height: the
intonation contour of the child’s turns at lines 2 and 3 indicate non-final utterances
(Corrin, Tarplee and Wells, 2001). Her turn at line 2 begins at mid-level pitch and
continues with alternate dips and rises but finishes at mid-level height before the
silence. Ciara begins the second clause at line 3 at a higher pitch level, which next
dips before she reaches mid height just before the silence. In contrast, the completed
TCU at line 4 has a pitch contour that begins at mid height but ends with a significant
rise on the final syllable. The pitch contours of the searches project that there is more
talk to follow and may also be a marker of incompleteness to which the teacher is
orienting. In sum, the co-ordinated activity of gaze, syntactic design and prosody
(pitch height) achieve turn-holding for Ciara during silences so that she can complete
her TCU.

The second example also illustrates how silence, syntax and prosody are co-ordinated
with Ciara’s gaze. However, in contrast with extract 1 where gaze was consistently
lowered, we see how gaze shift towards the adult serves as a direct invitation
(Oelschlaeger, 1999) that mobilises the teacher’s participation and enables Ciara to
retrieve the word that she was searching for.

INSERT FIG 2 (Extract 2) HERE: Silence, syntax, prosody and gaze (direct
invitation)

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