Determining the Perception of Silence in Casual Conversations among the Native Speakers of Rimi in Singida, Tanzania

Abstract

This paper provides an empirically grounded examination of the perception of silence in casual conversation among the Rimi native speakers in Singida. Four casual conversations of Rimi native speakers were examined. Silence in conversation was determined using the turn-taking framework in Conversation Analysis. The findings indicate that, in Rimi, silence is mainly perceived negatively; it is used to express, among others, anger, conceit and terror. However, there is a tendency to give it a positive value. Some positive uses of silence include a cognitive function and social discretion. The interviews and focus group discussions reveal individuals evaluating their own silences positively. These results suggest that silence can either foster or stifle conversation and that interpreting silence in the Rimi community remains complex.

Keywords: Conversation Analysis, Rimi, Singida, silence, Tanzania