Making talk together: Simultaneity and rhythm in mundane Italian conversation

To sustain the energy of social occasions, Italians often engage in a form of casual conversation that prioritizes sociability and the production of cheerful and vociferous 'talking together'. This form of mundane talking (chiacchierare) features much simultaneous speaking and no competition for turns at talk, hence differs significantly from common conversational practices in many Anglo-American societies, demonstrating how the rules for conversation are far from universal. Conversational techniques used to accomplish talking together are described, including vocal gestures, repetition, prosody, rhythmic speaking, crescendos, and celebrations. Alongside voicing, listening is considered, and shown to be a critical component of sociable simultaneous talk. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.