Turn taking strategies on Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd debate

ABSTRACT

Turn taking strategy is a way of exchanging turn of speaker to listener. While having a conversation, people should understand the technique or the strategy of exchanging speaking turn due to keep the conversation run well. The strategy of turn taking can be applied in the daily conversation whether in formal or informal condition. Therefore, the first presidential debate between Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd is taken as the object in this study in order to find out any type of turn taking strategies which can be applied in the formal condition such this debate, the function of using those types of strategies, and the reason applying those turn taking strategies.

To get the answer of the research questions, this study used the the theory formulated by Stenstrom (1994) about turn taking strategies which classified into three types those are taking the turn strategy, holding the turn strategy, and holding the turn strategy. In writing this study, the researcher used the descriptive qualitative research to be applied on this study. First the data were collected by taking all types of turn taking strategies, second analyze the data using Stenstrom’s theory, and third drew the general conclusion based on the research findings and discussions.

The result of this study, the researcher found 35 data, which are divided into three types or categories. In taking the turn strategy eleven data are found (starting up, taking over, and interrupting), in holding the turn strategy nineteen data are found (filled pause and verbal filler, lexical repetition, and starting all over again), and in yielding the turn strategy five data are found (prompting, appealing, and giving up). Not all sub categories are found in the data for instance starting up, starting all over again, and appealing strategy due to some reasons. However, in this study there is a datum which becomes the most conspicuous datum in the debate which stated by Tony Abbott and categorized as interrupting strategy especially alert.