COMMUNICATION
Having a Conversation 128 129Having a
Conversation
A conversation is a shared endeavor between
speaker and listener, which involves more than
producing and understanding words. We take turns,
signal understanding, and align our thoughts.
Speaking and listening
Speaker and listener swap roles many times in a
conversation—and as speakers, we also monitor our own
speech output. Although both roles involve multiple steps,
it can all happen fast—taking from 0.25 seconds between
having an idea to saying it, and from 0.5 seconds for
comprehension. Hesitation occurs when speakers need
time to “catch up” with the complex speech planning
and production process.Beyond words
We constantly use nonverbal
signals alongside speech in
conversation. In addition to adding
emphasis (via facial expressions)
or visual effect (via gestures),
such signals allow the person
not speaking to have a role in
the conversation partnership,
encouraging the speaker without
interrupting or taking over.Response
Now the listener can reply
and take their turn as speaker.Message interpretation
Usually, listeners add their
own experience to understand
the message. For example, if we
are asked “Would you like a
drink?” at 9 a.m., we may expect
coffee, but at 9 p.m. it is likely the
offer is a different type of drink.Message decoding
The listener recognizes words and
makes sense of the message structure
by analyzing the syntax (parsing). Parsing
includes extracting meaning from the
order of the words. For example, “dog
bites man” has the same words but
different meaning to “man bites dog.”
Wernicke’s area (see p.126) is crucial in
comprehending speech.Hearing speech sounds
The speaker’s speech
sounds are heard via the auditory
pathway in the listener’s brain.4
3
2
1
TH
E (^) L
IST
EN
ER Looking
Listeners look at their conversation
partner much more than speakers
do. They do this to show interest—
as without this, speakers often
falter. In contrast, speakers look
intermittently at the listener.
“I’m listening” signals
Listeners use nonverbal sounds and
gestures, such as saying “mmm” or
nodding, to show they are engaged in
the conversation while not speaking.
Turn taking
Conversation requires taking turns,
and we start learning this from
infancy. Conversation partners
rarely talk over each other, even
though the average gap between
turns is only a few tenths of
a second.
ELEMENTS OF CONVERSATION
Gestures
We use many types of hand gestures
(see p.119), including conventional
signs—such as “thumbs up,” pointing,
and expressive hand movements—to
add emphasis to the message.WORD PARSING
RECOGNITION
PEOPLE TALK
OVER EACH
OTHER LESS
THAN 5% OF
CONSERVATION TIME
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