This paper will address the issue of "uh" and "um". The idea for this paper came around while listening to a Teacher’s Assistant give a lecture; she had used "uh" twenty-six times and used "um" nineteen times (needless to say I do not recall what the lecture was about, nor which class it was for). Then the following questions popped into mind: why do we use "uh" and "um"? And why are they so marked? After some research and surveying, I found that "uh" and "um" are useful to the speaker as well as the audience. "Uh" and "um" are used to let an audience know that there will either be a brief (uh) or a long (um) pause, a hesitation, or a pause for recall which I will show in my data presentation and interpretation.
In many studies of uh and um, the conclusions were similar to my findings. Clark and Fox Tree (2002) stated “that speakers use uh and um to announce that they are initiating what they expect to be a minor (uh), or major (um), delay in speaking. Speakers can use these announcements in turn to implicate, for example, that they are searching for a word, are deciding what to say next, want to keep the floor, or want to cede the floor”. Which I found to be consistent with my findings; a subject tended to continue with their speech almost immediately after using an uh and delayed a few seconds after they had used an um. Clark and Fox Tree found that uh and um had use and are in fact words, “By words, we mean linguistic units that have conventional phonological shapes and meanings and are governed by the rules of syntax and prosody”. The use of uh and um can be used to alert the audience “(1) that they wouldn’t normally expect a delay at this moment; (2) that they anticipated the delay; and (3) that they were aware, at some level, of the reason for their delay”. Clark and Fox Tree were able to prove uh and um have meaning and therefore are indeed words.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) Background
2.1 Uhs and Ums as Indicators of Delay
2.2 Uhs and Ums as Indicators of Uncertainty
2.3 Uhs and Ums as Indicators of Hesitation
2.4 Uhs and Ums as Indicators of Recall
2.5 Uhs and Ums Rate of Use
3) Methodology
4) Data Presentation and Analysis
5) Interpretation
6) Conclusion
7) References
Objectives and Topics
This paper investigates the functions of the filled pauses "uh" and "um" in spontaneous small-talk conversations. The primary research goal is to determine how these markers serve as communication tools for speakers and what information they convey to listeners, specifically examining whether they function as indicators of delay, hesitation, uncertainty, or recall.
- The linguistic role of "uh" and "um" in discourse.
- Distinction between "uh" as a minor delay and "um" as a major delay.
- Cognitive processes related to hesitation and lack of speaker preparation.
- The role of filled pauses in facilitating memory and discourse recall.
- Pragmatic functions of fillers in casual, non-scripted conversation.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Uhs and Ums as Indicators of Delay
In many studies of uh and um, the conclusions were similar to my findings. Clark and Fox Tree (2002) stated “that speakers use uh and um to announce that they are initiating what they expect to be a minor (uh), or major (um), delay in speaking. Speakers can use these announcements in turn to implicate, for example, that they are searching for a word, are deciding what to say next, want to keep the floor, or want to cede the floor” (p. 73). Which I found to be consistent with my findings; a subject tended to continue with their speech almost immediately after using an uh and delayed a few seconds after they had used an um.
Clark and Fox Tree found that uh and um had use and are in fact words, “By words, we mean linguistic units that have conventional phonological shapes and meanings and are governed by the rules of syntax and prosody” (p. 75). The use of uh and um can be used to alert the audience “(1) that they wouldn’t normally expect a delay at this moment; (2) that they anticipated the delay; and (3) that they were aware, at some level, of the reason for their delay” (Clark & Fox Tree, 2002, 92). Clark and Fox Tree were able to prove uh and um have meaning and therefore are indeed words.
Summary of Chapters
1) Introduction: Introduces the research topic regarding the use of "uh" and "um" in speech and establishes the personal motivation and initial questions behind the investigation.
2) Background: Provides a theoretical foundation by reviewing existing literature on filled pauses, specifically analyzing their roles in signaling delay, uncertainty, hesitation, recall, and their general rate of use.
3) Methodology: Describes the study design, which involved conducting recorded interviews with a convenience sample of five native English speakers in casual settings to observe natural small-talk.
4) Data Presentation and Analysis: Presents transcribed examples from the interviews and maps them against the theoretical frameworks discussed in the background section to illustrate the various functions of "uh" and "um".
5) Interpretation: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that "uh" and "um" serve as meaningful tools for both speakers and listeners to navigate discourse and cognitive load.
6) Conclusion: Summarizes the research, stating that while "uh" and "um" are meaningful communication signals, further research is required to definitively classify them as words.
Keywords
uh, um, filled pauses, hesitation, discourse analysis, small-talk, delay, memory recall, speech production, pragmatic functions, linguistics, spontaneous speech, cognitive load, communication signals, verbal fillers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental topic of this paper?
This paper examines the usage and functions of the verbal fillers "uh" and "um" within the context of informal, spontaneous small-talk conversations.
What are the central thematic fields?
The core themes include linguistic discourse analysis, the pragmatics of speech, cognitive psychology in relation to speech planning, and the functional role of non-lexical elements in human communication.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks what "uh" and "um" indicate during a conversation, why speakers use them, why they are perceived as marked, and whether these functions align with previously established academic theories.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a qualitative approach, conducting and recording interviews with a convenience sample of five native English speakers in casual environments to capture naturalistic data.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the theoretical definitions of "uh" and "um" as indicators of delay, uncertainty, and recall, followed by an analysis of transcribed interviews that apply these theories to real-world examples.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include "uh," "um," "filled pauses," "hesitation," "discourse analysis," "small-talk," "delay," "speech production," and "pragmatic functions."
How does the author distinguish between "uh" and "um" in the analysis?
Based on the literature of Clark and Fox Tree, the author distinguishes them by duration and purpose: "uh" is generally associated with minor delays, whereas "um" is associated with major delays in content.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the status of "uh" and "um" as words?
The author concludes that while "uh" and "um" convey clear meaning and are functional signals, there is insufficient evidence to definitively classify them as words in the traditional, definable sense.
How did the author avoid the "observer's paradox" during interviews?
The author informed subjects that they were part of a linguistic study without revealing the specific focus on "uh" and "um," thereby maintaining a natural, small-talk atmosphere.
- Quote paper
- Chelsea Criez (Author), 2015, The indications of the fillers "uh", and "um" in small talk, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/335275
