Learning to argue, support, and defend a stance in a second language: Interactional features of conflict talk sequences in university English peer discussion tasks

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02766
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Kanagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Aline David 神奈川大学, 外国語学部, 教授 (70289958)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 細田 由利 神奈川大学, 外国語学部, 教授 (70349124)
• Research Collaborator: HELLERMANN John ポートランド州立大学, 応用言語学科, 准教授
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 外国語教育 / 第二言語習得 / 会話分析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project examined linguistic and paralinguistic features Japanese university students employ in conflict talk during English language-learning discussion tasks. Examining conflict sequences, analysis found that in the opening phase, in turns following arguable claims, the opposer initiated short sequences with repetitions and why-type questions, and these preceded oppositions. Repetitions and why-type questions that directly follow a speaker's claim adumbrate upcoming oppositions. These questions call for accounts. Moreover, conflict talk closings are signaled verbally when conceding parties' tokens of acceptance and repetitions are observed at termination, and nonverbally when participants use gaze to show the conflict talk is over. This contributes to conflict talk research by foregrounding the examination of opening and closing sequences of conflict talk. Moreover, it shows what resources are used by second language speakers and how their competence is revealed in interaction.

Free Research Field

第二言語習得、会話分析