闲聊会话的连续性初探 = An exploratory study of the continuity of casual conversations among Singaporean young Chinese working adults

Abstract

The present study seeks to understand the achievement of continuity in casual conversations. The investigation set sights on three aspects which are of direct relation to the sustainment of conversation, namely topic generation, thematic organization, listener responses. This study also aims to seek clarity on the nature of casual conversation. The approach adopted in this study is multi-pronged. While different frameworks are applied in the analysis of the three aspects, the concept of intersubjectivity is employed as the overarching principle to weave and make sense of the various phenomena observed. Statistical results show that the interactants are continuously "other-oriented" in their strategy deployment. This resulted in active contribution from every interactant, which made the continuity of casual conversation possible. Not only so, successful communication relies heavily on the assumption of intersubjectivity in the interactants' minds, interactants' constant mutual other-orientedness and their sharing of a common goal to strive towards commonality.