TITLE Social Interactions and Learning in an Informal Setting: An Ethnography of Communication in a Knitting Circle. PUB DATE 2001-00-00

This paper describes a study of a speech community, a group of approximately 10 women, aged 25 to 65, who met at least 3 times a month to knit, drink coffee, and chat. The paper notes that knitting circles have survived through history because they serve a social function that surpasses historical events--they are communities that co-construct the reality of their community through linguistic and educational experiences. According to the paper, the communication that occurs within the knitting speech community is both verbal and nonverbal, and the novices of the speech community in this study will be the experienced knitters of future circles, thanks to their acceptance in this circle. Research questions addressed in the paper were how the members of this speech community use language to co-construct "teaching moments " and whether there is a difference between the speech acts used by experienced knitters and by novice knitters. After 10 meetings where the ethnographer spoke with key members of the group, patterns emerged whic