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

one ‘speaking book’ that contains pictures (see Radford, Ireson and Mahon, 2006, for
further information). To reduce observer effects, the data were collected over a period
of four consecutive weeks, totalling 248 minutes of interaction in 12 lessons. Each
episode of word-retrieval was isolated, as characterised by search behaviours, which
yielded a corpus of 37 instances.

The sequences were transcribed by the author, taking care to note both verbal and
non-verbal behaviours. Transcription conventions are shown in appendices 1 and 2
and are adapted from the systems devised by Jefferson (2004), Goodwin and
Goodwin (1986) and Oelschlaeger and Damico (2000). As well as the spoken words
that are shown in typical type, the reader will find relevant non-verbal actions in
italics below the talk, and gaze either above or below. Pitch is presented above the
talk between two lines that, according to auditory impression, reflect the upper and
lower limits of the speaker’s normal speaking range. The analysis includes detailed
information regarding the linguistic and paralinguistic features of Ciara’s search turns
and takes account of the sequential implications in the tradition of the procedures used
by conversation analysts.

Findings

Whilst the following analysis is presented in terms of the principal techniques
employed by the child, it must be emphasised that, as in all CA research, these
devices must not be interpreted as isolated phenomena. Crucially, they are context
dependent in so far as they emerge from the prior verbal and non-verbal elements of

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