ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the topic of overall structuring practices with a focus on conversation openings. The ability to talk on the phone is an important part of one’s interactional competence and a daily challenge for many second language learners. Telephone openings are more subtle than we might initially think; its complexities are not easily captured by our intuitions. As Wong (1984, 2002) shows, ESL/EFL textbook dialogs sometimes do not represent telephone openings as they actually occur in real life. In order to make this particular phone skill teachable, language instructors need to develop a solid understanding of the structure of telephone conversation openings. To that end, we offer a conversation analytic account of the basic sequences that make up a telephone opening. Transcripts of actual landline and cellular phone calls are used for illustration, and we note the pedagogical relevance of these sequences throughout the chapter. In addition, we briefly consider cultural variations in telephone openings. Finally, we offer suggestions of how telephone openings can be taught in the language classroom.
