Abstract
Participants in a conversation occasionally utter a “topic item”（a noun or noun phrase that formulates the topic of the previous segment of conversation) after “topic boundaries”（Schegloff & Sacks 1973: 306). In this study, we will examine the function of topic items in topic management organization in conversations. We find three features of topic items: they may be uttered in a relatively soft voice; they may take [a topic item + a sentence-final particle] turn-shape: and speakers of a topic item usually do not make eye contact with the recipient. These features render topic items independent of sequence organization m conversations: basically topic items do not impose the responding action in the next position or do not respond to the action implemented in the previous utterance. Moreover, they do not contribute to the selection of the next speaker. We assume that topic items can contribute to topic management organization since they are independent of sequence and turn-taking organization in conversations.
The result of analysis shows that speakers of the next utterance of a topic item will (1) continue a prior topic by using [an unmarked utterance] turn-shape. (2) shift a topic by using [a repeated topic item + an unmarked utterance] or [a repeated topic item + a marked utterance] turn shape, and (3) change a topic by using [a marked utterance] turn-shape. In other words, topic items impose certain constraints on topic continuation, shift, and change in the next position. Detailed analysis of interaction will show how participants use topic items to “fit” their “mentionable”（Schegloff& Sacks 1973: 300) with the flow of a conversation.
