L'organizzazione multimodale e interazionale dell'orientamento spaziale in movimento

The analysis of spatial orientation has mostly concentrated on descriptions of itineraries based on interactions occurring between a speaker asking his way and an interlocutor delivering the required information. Our paper focuses on the way in which moving couples – either walking or advancing in a car – reorient themselves without the aid of a third person. We will show to what extent the analysis of these accomplishments can benefit from taking into account the multimodal details of interaction. We stress the dynamic temporality of the multimodal actions which constitute this spatial navigation e.g. as couples (re)arrange themselves as vehicular units and (re)position themselves within the interactional space. Participants orient visibly to this temporality of spatial action, as can be seen, e.g., in the way they shape their turns at talk as well as in the sequential order of the interaction.