An ELT Glossary : Repair Strategies

A term used in conversational analysis to describe the way participants deal with mistakes, misunderstanding etc during discourse.


Repair strategies may involve :


a) Self repair  - the speaker recognises the problem and corrects/explains herself. Eg :

A: Go straight on to the end of the road and then turn right at the end, by that cafe. No sorry - it isn't there any more. It's a supermarket now. Turn right by the supermarket.


b) Other repair - a listener recognises there's a problem and queries it. Eg :

A : Go straight on to the end of the road and then turn right at the end,
B : Right? Are you sure? Isn't it left?
A : Oh yes, sorry - I meant left.