Treating an error in another’s talk as laughable

Abstract

In this chapter we highlight a phenomenon evident in conversations involving second language (L2) speakers or speakers with aphasia. Following the production of certain errors by these “challenged” speakers, a co-participant not only corrects the error, but also treats it as laughable. We analyse three practices through which a co-participant treats the error as laughable: (1) an over-exposed other-correction; (2) a playful or teasing other-correction; and (3) a post-other-correction laughing repeat of the error. Such sequences are notable since the co-participants are hearably “laughing at” the errors of the challenged speakers. Typically in our data set the challenged speakers do not laugh along. We discuss what makes these errors laughable and the possible interactional motivation for co-participants’ laughter in this context.