ABSTRACT
In several of our analyses so far, we have already broached some of the linguistic means conversational partners use to manage problems of understanding. Our aim in this chapter is to put this aspect of the task of achieving understanding centre stage. The perspective taken here will be complementary to two of the earlier chapters. It relates to chapter 4 in that it explores more systematically how the majority speaker reacts to some indication of a problem by the minority participant and to Chapter 6 in that it emphasizes the post-hoc aspect of the situation instead of possible 'prevention' .
