The organization of assessments produced by children and adults in task based talk

Abstract

In this paper we were interested in comparing the organization of the assessment sequences of adults and children (aged 7–12) in the assessment phase of a map task. Using Pomerantz's (1984a) findings for adults in ordinary conversation, we set out to analyze whether the speakers in our corpus produced both a first and second assessment and whether there was a preference for agreement. We found that a first assessment did make a second expectable as a response. However, given that a specific task had been completed (that of following a set of instructions to complete a map) on completion of the task, examination and comparison of the maps also become relevant next actions, thus potentially delaying the second assessment, or making it no longer relevant. The latter organization, in fact, emerged in the children's interactions. In contrast, the majority of the adults produced immediate second assessments. With respect to preference organization, preference was locally determined by the stance that the participants took to the task outcome. However, the adults and older children paid more regard to face matters in attributing blame for inaccurate maps than did the younger children who were more direct in finding fault. Analysis also showed that while the adults produced assessments of the task itself, of the map, or of the performance of the other speaker, the children were more likely to confine their assessments to an assessment of the completed map.