Sambursky 1

Rebecca Sambursky
ENC 4275
Dr. Hall
November 26, 2014
Dominance is my Downfall
Before I dive into the technical aspects of my transcript, I will give you a little
background of what the tutoring session entailed. In the tutoring session, the writer and I
discussed an ENC 1101 paper she was writing describing her own writing process while tying in
three different readings from the Writing about Writing textbook. She came into the session with
two different drafts and I had her read both of them to me out loud. As she read, I made notes
about each draft (good and bad) and then attempted to discuss those issues with her so we could
resolve them together. By doing so, we were able to determine which paper was stronger, and
then worked on fixing the errors within that paper. This may sound like a typical session, but
there were several factors that impeded the learning process, and frustrated both myself and the
writer.
After reviewing and analyzing my transcript, I noticed that there were three major issues
that negatively impacted the session as a wholethese included the use of discourse markers and
placeholders, interruptions, and back channeling. Although each of these individually hindered
the learning process during the session, altogether they opened my eyes to a much larger issue. I
argue that all of these elements of discourse used within the session reinforce the idea of
dominance, and how I crave to be the dominant figure during my tutoring sessions. Along with
my transcript, I will be using information from the book Between Talk and Teaching:

Sambursky 2

Reconsidering the Writing Conference, by Laurel Black as well as Close Vertical

Transcription in Writing Center Training and Research by Gilewicz and Thonus to address my
issue of dominance.
The first issue I am going to discuss is the use of discourse markers and placeholders.
Discourse markers help distinguish boundaries of talk, (Black 42). They are ways of
positioning a speaker either in relation to the information or another speaker, of responding to
an earlier utterance, even of gaining the floor when speaking turns are contested, (Black 42).
They are also an important way in which we create coherence between units of talk, connect
ideas, and shape the speech event at utterance, discourse, and even social levels, (Black 42).
Unfortunately, discourse markers can be used to dominate talk when in a tutoring sessionthis
specifically happened during the tutoring session I am discussing.
As you read through my transcript, you will notice that both the writer and I use the
placeholder and to hold the floor and continue talking. Black states that the word and both
forcefully holds the floor and strings together ideas (42). By using and both the writer and I
were trying to dominate the conversation by indicating we had more to say. We also used the
words so and well to hold the floor and take control of the discussion. Why does this matter
you ask? This caused a power struggle between the writer and I, which interfered with potential
learning that could have occurred, or progress on the paper that could have been made.
According to Black, when this occurs between a teacher and a student, students are reluctant to
claim the floor even if there is extended time after the and, (43). I believe that because neither
the writer nor I had the authority of a teacher role, we both were attempting to dominate the
conversation. Within lines thirty-four to ninety-six, there are several instances where the use of
placeholders are used to forcefully hold the floor. For example, lines thirty-four to thirty-nine

Sambursky 3

show how the writer is attempting to dominate the conversation by using the words and and
so. Then lines forty to fifty show how I attempt to regain the control of the session and
dominate the conversation by using placeholders. As the session continues, you can see in lines
fifty-one to sixty-eight that this led to constant interruptions by both the writer and myself. These
interruptions occurred because of our attempt to use placeholders to keep control of the
conversation. This constant power struggle between the writer and me to remain in control of the
conversation reinforces the issue of dominance. This is just one way I attempted to be the
dominant individual during the tutoring session.

34
35

W:
I, I dont know if I feel stronger about either one, its um, I,
cause I am, really, cause, uh, Ive always been told that Im not supposed to use first person

36

T:

37
38
39

W:
and then I made these two drafts and then Ive been told that I can use first
person because I am writing about myself, so I was told that I can use first person but I am still
really skeptical and

40
41

T:
It is very nerve racking when you are told something your entire life
or like entire writing career not to do something and then all of the sudden it is okay.

42

W:

43
44
45
46

T: So I understand how you feel. I have been there, I understand sometimes its just, it is a
struggle and it is confusing. So what we, what I think we should do, um it is up to you, I think in
the time frame because we have cause we have about 35 to 40 minutes I would say we should
kind of skim through both of them

47

W:

48
49
50

T:
look at what we like and what we dont like
about both, and then maybe either use ideas from both or pick one that we like more and then
focus and zone in on that one.

51

W:

Okay

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Sambursky 4
52
53

T:
at?

54

W: Um my, my teacher looked at this intro (points at one of the drafts) I think yeah this intro.

55

T: Okay.

56

W:

57

T:

58
59

W:
didnt like the thesis so I, I changed the thesis.

60

T:

61

W:

62
63

T
first?

64

W:

65

T:

66

W:

67
68

T:
together.

69

(After reading first paragraph together)

70

T: Okay, what was your thesis prior to this one, I am just curious, like what changed

71
72
73

W:
Okay so um because my first
language wasnt English my thesis was about how uh my writing isnt, my writing is kind of like
all about not being able to analyze, and like uh it was I dont really

74
75

T:
opposite kind of, you kind of like switched it around?

76
77

W: Yeah I was, it was like, my intros like all this like and then I talked about like writers whose
first language is not English and then to be the judge and then all of a sudden switched back to

Do you kind of want to do that and then see where we are

But I changed the thesis because he didnt like the thesis.

Okay.
So he said he liked the intro, he just

Okay so
So he can
So do you want to read this one

Yeah.
Okay, so I am going to have you read it out loud to me
Okay.
and then we will go through it

So it is actually

Sambursky 5
78
79

writers whose first language is not English, um, have a hard time analyzing, um, like things and
he just thought I was switching around too much.

80
81

T:
back and forth, so he wanted you to pick a side and stick with it.

82
83

W:
said

84
85

T:
Okay so you said this is analyzing your own writing so as we continue reading is it
going to start talking about your writing practices?

86

W:

87

T: Like

88
89

W:
Yeah that is what is we had like a peer review and they said I should start talking about
myself more cause like

90
91
92

T:
Yeah, cause (1 second) the only thing I can say, is that your intro is
very strong and it has a lot of information, its just I, um we will have to keep reading Im just
Im am curious to see how that is going to tie into your

93

W:

94
95
96

T:
own writing process.
Because if that is the focus, then (3 seconds) maybe we should just continue reading and then we
can get a better feel for it cause could just be like kinda pre-judging the situation.

It was kind of like

Yeah. (2 seconds) So (5 seconds) and he said I should keep that in mind that he

Yeah.

Yeah.

Sambursky 6

This leads straight into my second issue during the tutoring sessioninterruptions galore.
With every power struggle comes lots of interruptions, and unfortunately this really hurt the
session as a whole. According to Black, interruptions occur because we are trying to help one
another by providing necessary information to each other (66). This is exactly what was
occurring during the entire tutoring session, from beginning to end. Specifically, lines one to
thirty-one provide examples of continuous interruptions. During this portion of the transcript, I
am trying to get information about the assignment from the writer, and the writer is trying to
provide all the information possible to me. For example, during lines four through eight I ask the
writer what we would be working on during the session. Right when she begins to explain it to
me, I interrupt her and ask if she has a rubric. As you can see, as soon as I thought I had enough
information, I cut the writer off. During lines nineteen to thirty-one the writer does the same
thing I had previously done to her. During the session we were both trying to dominate talk and
state what we felt was crucial. By doing so, we were unable to get through as much material as
we could have. This hindered the learning process dramatically.

T: Alrighty, so refresh my memory, what are we working on today?

W: Well, um, were, I am writing about my own writing.

T: Okay.

W: Like analyzing my own writing so

T:

W:

Um

7
8

T:
just want to tell me about the assignment?

anything in that nature or do you

Ok so do you have a rubric or

Sambursky 7
9
10
11

W: It is just I have like two drafts that I have been working on but I really dont know like, Im
really, cause its due tomorrow and I scheduled an appointment last Tuesday but I couldnt make
it.

12

T:

13

W:

14
15

T:
worry about it. So what time is it due?

16

W: Its Tomorrow.

17

T:

18

W:

19

T: Okay, so you still have like tonight

20

W:

21
22

T:
to kind of leisurely work on it and figure it out. So what
is, before we start reading the two drafts, what are the main differences between the two drafts?

23
24

W: Um uh its more, its kind of, okay, so we have like these six articles from this um writing
about writing which is like this book that we have to

25

T:

26
27
28

W:
Yeah (1 second) Yeah so, and there are
these six articles and we are supposed to pick three, and um I picked um different three. Well I
picked one of the same but its

29
30

T:
different

31

W:

Okay.
So I like came today, but it was like last minute, I am so sorry but
No, dont even

Okay so like in the morning, afternoon?

Afternoon.

Yeah.

I can pull the book out if you want.

Okay, so you wrote two different papers using

Yeah and then the intro is kind of different

Sambursky 8

As the session continued, the interruptions remained constant. Instead of interrupting one
another about the requirements of the assignment, we began to interrupt each other about the
content of the assignment. Specifically, during lines thirty-two to sixty-nine the writer and I
discuss which of the two drafts she feels stronger about and how she is uncomfortable with
writing in first person. We are both eager to help one another, but our dominant personalities
would not allow either of us to speak for any length of time. For example, in lines thirty-seven
to forty-one you can see the writer is trying to voice her concerns, and I interrupt her to try to
sympathize and help her feel better about writing in first person. Like in Blacks example with
Dana and Eric (66), I thought the writers hesitation was a way to elicit help from me, but by
jumping in I cut her off before she had a chance to finish what she was going to say. Recognizing
this pattern of excessive interruptions during my session is extremely important to my future
success as a writing tutor; by dominating the conversation I denied myself essential information
needed to be an effective writing tutor.
32
33

T: Okay, um is there one that you feel stronger about, or are you just kind of like here lets look
at it and see where we are at?

34
35

W:
I, I dont know if I feel stronger about either one, its um, I,
cause I am, really, cause, uh, Ive always been told that Im not supposed to use first person

36

T:

37
38
39

W:
and then I made these two drafts and then Ive been told that I can use first
person because I am writing about myself, so I was told that I can use first person but I am still
really skeptical and

40
41

T:
It is very nerve racking when you are told something your entire life
or like entire writing career not to do something and then all of the sudden it is okay.

42

W:

Okay

Yeah. Yeah.

Sambursky 9
43
44
45
46

T: So I understand how you feel. I have been there, I understand sometimes its just, it is a
struggle and it is confusing. So what we, what I think we should do, um it is up to you, I think in
the time frame because we have cause we have about 35 to 40 minutes I would say we should
kind of skim through both of them

47

W:

48
49
50

T:
look at what we like and what we dont like
about both, and then maybe either use ideas from both or pick one that we like more and then
focus and zone in on that one.

51

W:

52
53

T:
at?

54

W: Um my, my teacher looked at this intro (points at one of the drafts) I think yeah this intro.

55

T: Okay.

56

W:

57

T:

58
59

W:
didnt like the thesis so I, I changed the thesis.

60

T:

61

W:

62
63

T
first?

64

W:

65

T:

66

W:

67
68

T:
together.

69

(After reading first paragraph together)

Yeah.

Yeah.
Do you kind of want to do that and then see where we are

But I changed the thesis because he didnt like the thesis.

Okay.
So he said he liked the intro, he just

Okay so
So he can
So do you want to read this one

Yeah.
Okay, so I am going to have you read it out loud to me
Okay.
and then we will go through it

Sambursky 10

Lastly, the power struggle between the writer and myself to dominate the conversation
led to a lot of back channeling during the tutoring session. Back channels are contributions
made by other participants while the first speaker maintains the floor, (Gilewicz and Thonus,
29). Although back channeling is often used to show that both the writer and tutor are paying
attention, and not necessarily in agreement, it can also be used as a way to regain dominance.
According to Gilewicz and Thonus, Speakers use backchannels as a strategy to seize the floor
or to signal displeasure, (33). Although back channeling is very prominent throughout my
transcript, I would like to direct your attention towards lines seventy to ninety-six. In these lines,
both the writer and I are using back channels to attempt to regain the floor. For example, in lines
seventy to seventy to seventy-five the writer uses the backchannel okay to gain control of the
conversation when we are discussing her thesis. Then in lines eighty-two to ninety-six, I use
backchannels Okay and Yeah to regain control and be the dominant figure during the
tutoring session. My constant use of backchannels are a result from me wanting to be dominant
during this tutoring session. As you can see, I use them to interrupt the writer and regain control
of talk.
70

T: Okay, what was your thesis prior to this one, I am just curious, like what changed

71
72
73

W:
Okay so um because my first
language wasnt English my thesis was about how uh my writing isnt, my writing is kind of like
all about not being able to analyze, and like uh it was I dont really

74
75

T:
opposite kind of, you kind of like switched it around?

76
77
78
79

W: Yeah I was, it was like, my intros like all this like and then I talked about like writers whose
first language is not English and then to be the judge and then all of a sudden switched back to
writers whose first language is not English, um, have a hard time analyzing, um, like things and
he just thought I was switching around too much.

So it is actually

Sambursky 11
80
81

T:
back and forth, so he wanted you to pick a side and stick with it.

82
83

W:
said

84
85

T:
Okay so you said this is analyzing your own writing so as we continue reading is it
going to start talking about your writing practices?

86

W:

87

T: Like

88
89

W:
Yeah that is what is we had like a peer review and they said I should start talking about
myself more cause like

90
91
92

T:
Yeah, cause (1 second) the only thing I can say, is that your intro is
very strong and it has a lot of information, its just I, um we will have to keep reading Im just
Im am curious to see how that is going to tie into your

93

W:

94
95
96

T:
own writing process.
Because if that is the focus, then (3 seconds) maybe we should just continue reading and then we
can get a better feel for it cause could just be like kinda pre-judging the situation.

It was kind of like

Yeah. (2 seconds) So (5 seconds) and he said I should keep that in mind that he

Yeah.

Yeah.

After analyzing and acknowledging these issues individually, I realize that they resulted
from my desire to remain dominant during the tutoring session. Regardless of the writer
attempting to dominate as well, I used discourse markers and placeholders, interrupted the writer,
and used back channeling to hold or regain the floor any chance I could. More importantly, I
have realized that I could have avoided this issue altogether if I had just been aware of this
problem from the beginning. First of all, instead of letting it occur for the entire session, I should
have been able to recognize that I was dominating (or trying to dominate) talk during the session
and redirect the session in a less controlling way. I should have stopped whatever I was doing

Sambursky 12

and focus on letting the writer talk more and interrupt less. It is my job as a writing consultant to
take a step back and evaluate the session if it seems like learning is being inhibited and not much
work is getting done. I also think in this particular session it would have been smart to address
the issue of dominance with the writerthis would have given both myself and the writer a
chance to take a step back and listen to each other instead of constantly talking over one another
or throwing some words like yeah and okay into the conversation just so we can repossess
control. This is a very direct approach, but I believe that doing so would have been the best way
to get the session back on course. Lastly, in regards to the use of discourse markers and
placeholders, interruptions, and back channeling, I believe the only way to remedy this problem
is to be able to recognize it when it happens in future sessions. I should always be aware of my
actions and concentrate on the way I speak to future writers who come to the writing center.
Since I am now aware that using these elements of discourse inhibit learning during my session,
I will recognize when I am using them to control the conversation and be able to stop.
Overall, doing this transcription analysis opened my eyes to issues with my tutoring that I
never knew existed. I was able to visually see on paper exactly what was said during one of my
sessions, and evaluate what occurred. I was able to not only analyze my own tutoring tactics, but
seen how the writer responded to them. Although during this analysis I focused only on the
negative aspects of my session, it also helped me recognize the effective elements of my tutoring
style. Lastly, and most importantly, I was able to see Blacks teachings, as well as Gilewicz and
Thonuss come to life. Before this assignment, their strategies and examples were just readings
from a textbookbut now I see how real both of their information truly was. I may have cringed
when I first listened to the forty-five minute recording of my voice, but I can honestly say this

Sambursky 13

learning experience was completely worth it. Dominance may be maybe my downfall, but I
learned from this problem and will only grow stronger from it.

Sambursky 14

Works Cited
Black, Laurel Johnson. Between Talk and Teaching: Reconsidering the Writing
Conference. Logan: Utah State UP, 1998
Gilewicz, Magdalena, and Terese Thonus. Close Vertical Transcription. (Links to an external
site.) The Writing Center Journal 24.1 (2003): 25-49. Print

Sambursky 15