Some interactional achievements of other-initiated repair in multiperson conversation

Based on video-taped multiperson conversation, this paper examines interactional achievements of affiliation and disaffiliation among conversationalists in spates of talk in which trouble in hearing or understanding is negotiated, In particular, this report focuses on three aspects of other-initiated repair unique to the multiperson setting. (1) In multiperson interaction, repair can be initiated by more than one speaker on the same trouble-source, Such a succession of repair initiation turns by different speakers shows a momentary affiliation to the repair initiation speaker, (2) Usually, the trouble-source turn speaker responds to the repair initiation, In multiperson interaction, a person other than the trouble-source turn speaker can respond before the trouble-source turn speaker's attempt to fix the trouble, In such instances, other coparticipants employ actions which display that such conduct is inappropriate if there is no apparent justification. (3) Initiating repair can be used as an entry and exit device to a conversation and to transformations in the participation framework from a single conversation to two simultaneous conversations (schisming) as well as to return from schisming to a single conversation (merging).