Parent-child interaction in Nigerian families: conversation analysis, context and culture

This paper uses a conversation analysis (CA) approach to explore parent child interaction (PCI) within Nigerian families. We illustrate how speech and language therapists (SLTs), by using CA, can tailor recommendations according to the interactional style of each individual family that are consonant with the family’s cultural beliefs. Three parent-child dyads were videoed playing and talking together in their home environments. The analysis uncovered a preference for instructional talk similar to that used in the classroom. Closer examination revealed that this was not inappropriate when considering the context of the activities and their perceived discourse role. Furthermore, this was not necessarily at the expense of responsivity or semantic contingency. The preference for instructional talk appeared to reflect deeply held cultural beliefs about the role of adults and children within the family and it is argued that the cultural paradigm is vitally important to consider when evaluating PCI. Given a potential risk that such young children may be vulnerable in terms of language difficulties, we offer an example of how PCI can be enhanced to encourage language development without disrupting the naturally occurring talk or the underlying purpose of the interaction

Conversational strategies of deaf children and their families where English is the second language

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3739.0605(R000221197) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Periodicity exhibited by Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae identified in dogs of Korea

Microfilarial periodicity of Dirofilaria immitis (the dog heartworm) was determined at two hr intervals for 72 consecutive hrs in 10 naturally infected war dogs, 3-9 years old, in Korea to facilitate harvest of the microfilariae for possible use in laboratory works and to elucidate further the periodicity of the microfilaria depending on geographic location. Although the periodicity had been observed as being low-grade nocturnal, maximal microfilarial counts were found at 21:00 hr and minimal at 11:00 hr, giving rise to an evident peak in fluctuation of the larval counts. This is the first record of the periodicity of the microfilariae identified as D. immitis in Korea

The development of other-related conversational skills:A case study of conversational repair during the early years

The analysis of conversational repair provides one route into understanding how young children learn the skills required for participating in talk. One key aspect of repair is the ability to respond appropriately to other participants. Employing a longitudinal case study approach, this article examines in detail the conversational repair skills of one child during the period where she is acquiring core conversational abilities and competencies (from 1;0 to 3;10). Focusing on the development of other-related conversational repair skills, 163 instances of other-related repair were examined and analysed. Extracts highlight the skills the child employed in self-repairs in response to others, as well as when repairing or correcting other people’s conversation. The findings indicate that during the early years other-initiated self-repair is a more common occurrence than repairing others’ talk. The findings provide insights into the significance of conversational repair for language development during the preschool years

Reflections and projections of the developing self

In response to calls for a constructively critical developmental psychology, this paper considers contemporary ideas of the developing self. After touching on theoretical assumptions within cognitive and psychoanalytic approaches, consideration turns to the potential value of narrative. A conception of the developing self embedded within the subject positionings of discourse is then formulated. This approach, defined as discursive ethnomethodology, focuses on narrativization as process bringing together Foucault's (1972) discourse theory, Gibson's (1979) affordance metaphor and conversation analysis. The proposals conceptualize theorized subject positioning as participant-oriented social practices, arguably understood as social affordances produced and recognized dynamically in context. Conversation analysis provides a key method for studying the production of such discursive self-positionings, particularly with regard to the implicit models and metaphors embedded in the talk between parents and young children. Recommendations for more dialogic conceptions of representation are suggested, alongside proposals for a discursive ethnomethodology of the developing self. Concluding comments emphasize the significance of studying talk and conversation within developmental psychology