19
453 then he was expelled from another school an then he went to college (.)
er he was
454 thrown out of college (.) then he went back to college then he left (.) er
an then
455
she said but now he’s twenty two an he’s quite nice = CEo +SE
456 Lou:
ah:::
457
Jan:
= an I thought I’ve got to put up with this until he’s twenty two !
When inquiring about her own son who is her colleague’s class Jan shifts from
her ‘frontstage’ role of teacher to the ‘backstage’ role of ‘concerned mother’ (L425). The
behavior of Jan’s son potentially reflects on both her professional identity as a teacher
and the wider social role of the ‘good mother’. In this interaction Jan's role as a mother
has taken precedence over her professional role and her nervous laugh (line 431) shows
that in this institutional context talking about her son is a highly face-threatening topic.
Lou decides to pursue the topic (lines 432-433) and her question allows Jan to elaborate
on the incident that has resulted in her son's latest suspension (lines 434-435). Jan’s
verbal reconstruction of events through SE moves appears to be re-voicing her son's
excuses regarding the matter. Categorizing the target of her son's hostility as ‘that creep’
(line 436) allows Jan to make the discursive claim that her son is actually ‘quite a hero’
(line 437). However, this comment may voice his peer group’s opinion rather than the
viewpoint of Jan’s colleagues. Lou offers a supportive move which suggests that she is
not unsympathetic to Jan’s version of events.
Convention