“One gets along enough to make it work”

a case study of local contexts prior to miscommunication between a hearing-impaired man and his spouse

Authors

  • Kati Pajo University of Helsinki

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jircd.v3i2.221

Keywords:

conversation analysis, hearing impairment, interactional context, intervention, repair sequence

Abstract

Few studies have been focused on the local contexts in the conversation prior to hearing-impaired (HI) individuals’ ‘What?’ and ‘Where?’ type clarification requests, other-initiations of repair (OI-actions). To address this gap, the present study utilized conversation analysis (CA) and video recordings of one married couple (a severely to profoundly HI individual and his spouse) as data. The analysis revealed that OIactions occurred in irregular frequency and that the HI recipient utilized OI-actions as any interactant, but the ability of the HI recipient to continue a conversation was susceptible to distraction. Several local contexts at risk for HI recipient as well as other reasons for the HI individual to use OI-actions were found. Furthermore, the analysis revealed what type of OI-actions were used in certain contexts. This study suggests that clinicians adopt an interaction orientation that is client-pair centred and further, that they incorporate an intervention that is oriented to conversation in their clinical work.

Author Biography

  • Kati Pajo, University of Helsinki

    Kati Pajo is a speech-language therapist in the Hearing Centre for Adults in Helsinki University Central Hospital and a PhD-student at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her research focus is in acquired hearing impairment and repair sequences initiated by the hearing-impaired individual. The research utilizes conversation analysis (CA) and includes a multimodal (verbal and non-vocal, embodied) approach. Kati is also interested in developing conversationally oriented communication therapy.

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Published

2012-12-31

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Pajo, K. (2012). “One gets along enough to make it work”: a case study of local contexts prior to miscommunication between a hearing-impaired man and his spouse. Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders, 3(2), 221-249. https://doi.org/10.1558/jircd.v3i2.221

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