Article published In:
Australian Review of Applied LinguisticsVol. 22:2 (1999) ► pp.19–33
When “okay” is okay in computer science seminar talk
Analysis of a series of seminars given by CSIRO computer scientists indicates that the use of the discourse marker: okay, is not random; rather, it plays an important role in orienting the listener to the overall structure of the seminar. This paper shows how okay occurs in specific environments, with specific prosodic features, and how its role and function vary according to where it occurs within the talk. Okay occurs most frequently at the boundary of one section of talk and the next, although its function varies according to whether it is associated with the beginning or with the end of a section of talk. This paper highlights the close interaction between talk and action, with special emphasis on the precise way in which saying okay is co-ordinated with placing the overhead slide on the screen.
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