‘I think’ in Swedish L1 and L2 group interactions

Abstract

This cross-sectional study explores the phrase jag tänker ‘I think/cogitate’ in Swedish talk-in-interaction and compares it with two similar phrases, jag tycker ‘I think/find’ and jag tror ‘I think/believe/guess’. It consists of a quantitative overview of the three phrases and a qualitative, interactionally informed analysis of jag tänker in task-based group conversations with L1 and L2 speakers of Swedish. The results show that jag tänker has a stance-taking function in L1 interactions and projects more talk, which typically accounts for the reasoning behind the point the speaker is making. However, the L2 speakers do not use jag tänker as a stance-taking phrase; instead, they may deploy jag tror or jag tycker to project turns that accomplish similar actions to those that the L1 speakers accomplish with jag tänker.