Analyzing Speech Strategy for Building a Common Ground Between Science Museum Staff and Visitors

Abstract

Common ground refers to the knowledge, beliefs, and suppositions that the dialogue participants believe they share about the activity. The construction of common ground among the participants is essential for the dialogue to proceed smoothly. In dialogues where science museum staff provide explanations to visitors, the amount of knowledge about the objects to be explained differs greatly between the science museum staff and visitors, making the construction of common ground even more important. In this study, we analyze the speech strategy of science museum staff to build common ground with visitors in the context of exhibit explanations.