Research into interruption, confined to Conversation Analysis, has centred
on various systemic classifications and the connection with gender (Beattie,
1981; Zimmerman & West, 1975), power relations (Farley, 2008; Ferguson
1977; O’Reilly, 2006, 2008). Myriads of incongruent classifications account
for the differing and even contrasting findings in terms of its relationship
with other social parameters (Hutchby, 1992). The current study, embarking
on a functional view of the definition and classification, explores its
generation and interplay with (im)politeness by drawing on dynamic
resonance, timing. As the “catalytic activation of affinities across utterances”
(Du Bois, 2014: 372)”, resonance can be represented via borrowing
conventionalised utterances (systemic resonance) by the prior speaker or
dynamically creating new constructions (dynamic resonance) based on the
previous ones. Using the CALLHOME Mandarin Chinese corpus, I choose
120 unscripted naturally occurring telephone conversations between native
speakers of Mandarin Chinese. I will focus on interruptions which are
initiated in the course of the current turn, be it supportive or intrusive. This
study aims at answering under the context of everyday conversations (a)
When do interruptions occur and how do interrupting turns interplay
textually with previous turns? (b) How do timing and resonance of
interruptions intersect with (im)politeness (Hotgraves, 2001; Jonanthan,
2011)? Based on 20 pilot study conversation, I propose three formulae of
dynamic resonance: (a) Addition (X → X+Y), the new construction consisting
of an intact original construction and a new one; (b) Substitution (X → X’),
the new construction consisting of a syntactically or semantically modified
original one; (c) Fusion (X+Y+…+ (N) → T), the new construction merging
the prior two or more constructions syntactically or semantically. Timing is
divided into three groups: turn-initial, turn-middle, and turn-final. The
investigation of timing and resonance in interruption turns are expected to
make contributions to the linguistic representation of impoliteness in
interactions.
