Michael Rosen - Taking Turns in Conversation

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06zryhp 
Michael Rosen and linguist Dr Laura Wright discuss how well we judge taking it in turns when we're in conversation. Professor Stephen Levinson has new research on the science behind this, and joins them in the studio for a carefully-calibrated discussion.. He believes that the back-and-forth pattern we instinctively fall into may have evolved before language itself. Levinson's research has found that it takes about 200 milliseconds for us to reply to each other, but it takes about 600 milliseconds to prepare what we're going to say - so we're preparing as we listen. Levinson notes that this is a pattern found across all human languages, and some animal species, and that infants begin taking turns in interactions at about six months of age, before they can even speak. But what's going on when someone seems to get it wrong, to interrupt or talk over the other person?

-'let me finish'; thought it wasn't his dads turn - shows that he didn't like being interrupted
-How adults show people not to interrupt - talking loudly, staring, repeating yourself
-Taking turns in conversation is essential
-Turn taking is actually been around longer than words themselves
-200ms gap between turns - shortest human response (as fast as the blink of an eye)
-Rising intonation is a sign of someone finishing speak - a sign for the next person to speak
-As the first person is speaking, the second person is already thinking about their response (able to do two things at once)
-People turn take around 1500 times a day
-If their is a long pause between turns - their is a problem, can lead to awkwardness etc.
-If their is a negative response, it is harder to reply (takes longer)
-'no' surprises the brain, however after a while, it gets used to it
-Some species turn take gesturally
-Mums and infants (from 3 months) already turn take - vocally or gesturally
-'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands' - response of child is almost instant (clap their hands and laugh for example)
-Collaborative conversation - people share stories and knowledge
-All topics link together
-7,000 different languages, however all turn take