um

Today, an analysis of a transcript got me thinking about understandings of talk that we have been taught (perhaps at school), for example, that "um" is a bad thing when used by students in classroom talk. Closer analysis of the use of "um" might reveal very interesting things about talk. For example, by saying "um" a speaker might accomplish certain things in interaction (especially if it was more accurately 'ummmmmh' that was used rather than the short 'um'). The longer 'version', "ummmmmmm" suggests that the speaker is still retaining talking rights ie. definitely still doing something and not working to get someone else to take a turn.

Initially, when analysing transcripts of classsroom talk we may draw on "rules" that we have been taught eg. that the use of "um" is not what is wanted in effective speech. But, looking more closely at talk and trying to think differently (forget the "rules"and look to what is accomplished by the talk) can reveal interesting things about how people use talk in interactions to accomplish social things, like retaining the right to talk.