ABSTRACT

Consider the following excerpt of interaction, transcribed from a phone conversation between two family members discussing a mother's failing health due to cancer (see Appendix for explanation of transcription symbols):

Excerpt 1: SDCL: Malignancy#17:2 (S=son; G=son's wife)

G

(°W(h)ow-.°) How long (they) think she's gonna hold o::ut? She still in the hospital?=

S

=Ye:ah, yeah. She's still in the hospital. They don't kno::w. ‘Could he a couple a weeks?