Dialogue
Dialogue is spoken or written exchange between two or more participants, shaped by their contributions and responses to one another.
Turn-taking: The organization of speaking turns among participants in conversation. Participants use turns to alternate contributions without requiring every exchange to follow a rigid sequence.
Conversation: Informal verbal interaction in which participants exchange contributions. Conversation is a common form of dialogue, though dialogue also includes scripted and written exchanges.
Dramatic dialogue: Speech between characters in a dramatic work, presented directly to an audience. Playwrights use exchanges to reveal character, develop conflict, and advance action.
Monologue: An extended speech by one person, often without meaningful exchange with others. A monologue lacks the reciprocal contribution that defines dialogue.
Adjacency pair: A paired sequence of conversational acts, such as a question followed by an answer. These paired acts make expectations between successive contributions visible.
Communication: The transmission or exchange of information, signals, or meaning. Dialogue is one interactive form of communication.
Socratic method: A teaching and inquiry method that uses questions to examine beliefs and claims. Its question-and-answer exchanges use dialogue to test ideas rather than simply deliver conclusions.
Debate: A structured exchange in which opposing positions are argued, often under formal rules. Debate directs exchange toward defending positions, unlike dialogue's broader range of purposes.
Common ground: Information and assumptions that participants treat as shared during communication. Shared assumptions let contributions remain concise while still being understood.
Utterance: A stretch of speech produced by a speaker in a particular context. Utterances are the contributions that participants interpret and answer.