Topic

Question 1

What is topic drift?

Answer 1

Most convos undergo topic drift
Normal part of convo
Formal = less topic drift
Casual (friends) = more topic drift

Question 2

What is the person controlling the topic referred to?

Answer 2

A dominant speaker
e.g. teachers in a classroom - Institutional authority
e.g. grieving - Situational authority

Question 3

What can subject expertise give?

Answer 3

Gives authority

Question 4

What happens when nobody is controlling the topic.?

Answer 4

It is a sign of equal status

Question 5

What is talking topically?

Answer 5

Basic rule, is that convos is that speakers must talk topically with the previous utterance.
Fail to do so is a sign on an uncooperative convo

Question 6

What does it mean to talk topically?

Answer 6

Same topic you previously raised BUT the interlocutor gets to interpret what they think the topic is.

Question 7

I saw your brother yesterday! What are the two responses you could interpret?

Answer 7

A) Oh? Really? Where?
B) Really? I saw Fred yesterday!
BSpeakers interpreted the topic is who we saw yesterday
A) second utterance - preferred response

Question 8

What is a topic loop?

Answer 8

Going back to a previously dismissed topic

Question 9

What type of speaker is more likely to introduce a topic loop?

Answer 9

A dominant speaker
however authority may enable you to topic loop (situational authority of grief)