Mechanisms of Turn Exchange, Turn-Taking, and Dialogic Coherence in the Light of Pragmatic Approaches

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the mechanisms of organising dialogic discourse in light of pragmatic approaches by focusing on three fundamental phenomena: turn exchange, turn-taking, and dialogic coherence. It proceeds from the assumption that dialogue is not merely a spontaneous exchange of speech but rather an organised communicative activity governed by implicit rules that ensure the coherence of interaction and its continuity between speakers. Drawing on the pragmatic approach and the descriptive-analytical method, the study sought to address how these mechanisms operate within discourse and the role of context in directing them. It began by defining the concept of dialogic structure and its characteristics and then analysing the mechanism of turn exchange as the basis for organising interaction, whereby speech is circulated among interlocutors according to precise linguistic, prosodic, and contextual indicators. It also addressed turn-taking as a regular succession of turns, highlighting its types and various strategies, such as claiming the turn, holding it, or yielding it, as well as the phenomenon of interruption and its communicative implications. With respect to dialogic coherence, the study showed that it is achieved through multiple linguistic and semantic means, such as reference, connectives, and repetition, alongside the decisive role of context in constructing meaning and ensuring discourse coherence. The study also reviewed some modern pragmatic approaches, especially Conversation Analysis, which has revealed the rules governing dialogic interaction in different contexts. The study concluded that the success of dialogic communication depends on observing the rules of turn-taking and turn exchange and that coherence is not confined to the linguistic aspect alone but is also related to context and the shared knowledge between speakers.