Definition of Interruption Interruption

b. Types of Interruption

There are four types of interruption that are classified by Ferguson 1977 and developed by Beattie 1982: 100-103. Those are simple interruption, overlap interruption, butting-in interruption and silent interruption. Those four types of interruption in conversation are shown in classification of interruption below. Figure 1: Classifications of Interruptions 1 Simple interruption In this type, the speakers exchange the turns within a simultaneous talk. Therefore, the interruption occurs in the current speaker’s speech. The interrupter comes to interrupt the first speaker which makes the utterance of the first speaker incomplete. Here is the example: B1 : ...and I have a class at three so B2 : I’m sure you’ll be in by then dear Zimmerman and West, 1975: 114 In the conversation above, B1 is the first speaker and B2 is the second speaker. It is shown that B2 interrupts B1’s utterance where B2 stands as the interruptee and B1 as the interrupter. The interruption makes B1 unable to finish the line and B2 takes over the previous speaker’s turn. 2 Overlap Overlap occurs in the exchange of turns where simultaneous speech presents. It belongs to interruption because the second speaker attempts to grab the first speaker’s floor. However, in this type, there is no pause in the speaker’s utterances. Thus, it makes the speaker complete hisher utterances during simultaneous talk. An example is shown as below. MT : ... it cannot tell you exactly what economies it’s going to make it each department it just can’t. DT : can it tell you that it will be able to make any? Beattie, 1982: 102 The conversation above occurs between Margareth Thatcher MT and Denis Tuohy DT. The conversation shows the indication of overlap because MT is interrupted by DT during the simultaneous speech. However, MT does not stop her utterances and completes herhis utterances at last. 3 Butting-in interruption This type occurs when an interrupter fails to interrupt the interuptee. This phenomenon occurs because the first speaker wants to defend the floor which makes the second speaker fail to grab the current speaker’s turn. This type requires exchanges of turn in a simultaneous talk. An example is noted as below. MT : ... if you’ve got the money in your pocketyou can choosewhether you spend it on things which attract Value Added Taxor not DT : You s- MT : and the main necessities don’t Beattie, 1982: 101-102 In that conversation, DT, as the interrupter, wants to grab MT’s floor to finish the utterance. However, MT, as the interruptee, does not want to give up on her turn and grab the floor back from DT. 4 Silent interruption It is called silent interruption because there is no simultaneous talk during conversation. This interruption occurs when the first speaker ’s utterance appears incomplete which makes the second speaker have an opportunity to grab the floor. Here is an example to illustrate the silent interruptions. A : But before you knew all this stuff, before you know that she was B : That was Tina Marche, 1993: 395 The conversation above shows that A ’s utterance is incomplete. However, there is no simultaneous speech during the conversation. In this case, the second speaker attempts to grab the floor because the first speaker stops his or her utterances.

c. Functions of Interruption

According to Murata in Li, 2001: 269-270 there are two basic functions of interruption. Those are cooperative and intrusive interruption. A further explanation about those two types is presented below. 1 Intrusive Interruption In this category, interruption functions as a disruptive act in which violation of a speaker’s turn in talking occurs. In addition, this act also refers to sign of threats by disrupting other’s turn when the current speaker is still talking. This intrusive act has three subcategories that are proposed by Murata in Li, 2001: 269-270 and another one borrowed from Kennedy and Camden in Li, 2001: 269. Those subcategories are disagreement, floor taking, topic change, and tangentialization. a Disagreement Disagreement occurs when an interrupter disagrees with the interruptee’s statement and wants to express her or his own utterance immediately. Here is an example of disagreement. A : It’s not worth saying in the first place. M : But don’t you think he would feel better if she told him. Beaumont, 2001: 431