Conversational Turn-Taking and Topic Manipulation Skills in Conversations of School-Age Low-Achievers in Language Learning

Heo, Hyunsook; Lee, Yoon-Kyoung

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Commun Sci Disord. 2012;17(1): 66-78.

Hyunsook Heo^` , and Yoon-Kyoung Lee^`

허현숙(Hyunsook Heo)| 이윤경(Yoon-Kyoung Lee)

ABSTRACT

Background & Objectives
The present study investigated the conversational turn-taking and topic manipulation skills of low-achievers in language learning.
Methods
The participants included 26 children, 13 low-achievers in language learning and 13 typical development (TD) children matched for grade individually with low-achievers in language learning. Conversational samples on three familiar topics were individually elicited by an examiner. Total turn-taking frequency and rates of initiation, maintenance, overlap, and breakdown were measured through ten-minute conversational samples. Additionally, in terms of topic manipulation, the number of topic initiations and C-unit per turn as well as rates of initiation and maintenance were measured. Inappropriate and appropriate rates of initiation and maintenance of topic were measured. ANCOVA was performed to compare the difference of conversational characteristics between the two sample groups.
Results
Significant differences between the two groups were shown for the rates of maintenance and breakdown and for the number of C-unit per turn in conversational turn-taking. In addition, low-achievers significantly differed from TD children on the number of topic initiations and rates of topic initiation and maintenance, as well as the rate of inappropriateness in topic maintenance.
Discussion & Conclusion
The results indicated the low-achievers are less skilled in turn-taking and topic initiation than TD children. The difficulties suggested that conversational skills should be considered for language intervention.