Inclined to better understanding—The coordination of talk and ‘leaning forward’ in doing repair

Abstract

This paper advocates an approach to CA studies of talk and body movements that focuses on the employment of various resources observable as methods for interaction that are sequentially consequential. It aims to demonstrate such an approach by analysing the combination of talk and the body movement ‘leaning forward’ in specific interactional environments. These environments are characterized by extended repair sequences, i.e. by troubles in understanding an action and by troubles in achieving a common understanding through repair. The paper shows how a combination of talk and the body movement ‘leaning forward’ is used as means to construct a repair in this local context. The components are ordered in specific ways. The use and the ordering of them are sequentially consequential and oriented to by the co-participant, who may construct his subsequent action by employing similar components and ordering them in similar ways. The paper also aims at discussing if and how a CA analysis can ascertain that a speaker is for instance relying upon both body movement and talk in a prior turn and not simply upon the talk in it if he restricts himself to deploying the component talk in the construction of his subsequent turn.