Turn-Taking Strategies in a Political Debate between Mehdi Hasan and Eylon Levy

Elisa Sulistiawati (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Gunung Djati)
Dadan Rusmana (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Gunung Djati)
Ice Sariyati (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Gunung Djati)

PROJECT (Professional Journal of English Education)
Vol. 9 No. 4 (2026): VOLUME 9 NUMBER 4, JULY 2026

This study examines turn-taking strategies in a political debate, focusing on how speakers manage and control interaction. Political debates are inherently competitive, making turn-taking not only a tool for organizing discourse but also for expressing dominance. Using a descriptive qualitative method, the data were taken from a YouTube video entitled “You’re a Sociopath’: Mehdi Hasan vs Eylon Levy on Gaza.” The analysis applies Stenström’s (1994) framework, including taking the turn, holding the turn, and yielding the turn. The findings show that all three types are used, with holding the turn being the most dominant, and Mehdi Hasan dominating the interaction.