On silence

[Rudy Troike]

Phil makes a good point -- silence is definitely a cultural thing.
See the discussion of this and many other culturally-relevant topics
in Muriel Saville-Troike - The Ethnography of Communication: An
Introduction, and Deborah Tannen & M. S-T (eds)- Perspectives on Silence.

Silence is particularly valued in Navajo and Apache cultures. Responding
to a question right away is considered rude, as it suggests one has not
taken time to think about it. People meeting after an absence do not
speak for a suitable time. Nancy Modiano told about a conference for
teachers in bilingual programs in Albuquerque some years ago, in which
attendance consisted of 65% Navajo, 15% Puebloan, and 20% Anglo. The
Anglo teachers talked 75% of the time, the Puebloan 15%, the Navajo 10%.

Rudy

Rudy Troike
Dept. of English
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ

On Thu Dec 09 18:40:54 EST 2010, Phillip E Cash Cash
<cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I don't know if anybody has mentioned this but I will just briefly add
> that in terms of behavior, adults have this (mostly unexamined) drive
> to be understood when speaking to children.  Much like when people
> have this (largely unexamined) need to blurt out speech when silence
> enters into the conversation.  Is it a cultural thing?  Hmm, not sure,
> maybe.
>
> Perhaps it might force the issue when teaching a language.  One could
> have the greatest curriculum in the world but if the teacher has this
> unexamined need to be understood it could limit the options of
> learners.  Maybe this is the source for some teachers blurting out
> English during your lessons.
>
> Just curious,
> Phil
>