Resumen de The last five turns: preliminary remarks on closings in Greek and German telephone calls

Theodossia Pavlidou

• In continuation of earlier work (Pavlidou 1994), in which the openings of telephone calls in Greek and German were investigated, this paper presents a preliminary examination ofhow closings are managed in the two languages (and cultures). Using a sample of 45 Greek and 27 German closings of noninstitutional calls among individuals with relationships ranging from familiär to very dose, the analysis focuses on the turntaking structure, terminal exchanges, and content of the lastfive turns. The differences that emerge indicate that in Greek closings emphasis is put on a cooperative parting, whereas German closings are more oriented toward the consolidation of the relationship.