- Home
- e-Journals
- Applied Pragmatics
- Previous Issues
- Volume 2, Issue 2, 2020
Applied Pragmatics - Volume 2, Issue 2, 2020
Volume 2, Issue 2, 2020
-
The contributions of proficiency, exposure, and working memory capacity to second language learners’ comprehension of indirect speech
Author(s): Clevia J. Pérez and Janet L. McDonaldpp.: 121–147 (27)More LessAbstractPragmatic inferencing necessary to interpret indirect speech can be problematic for second language (L2) learners and could be influenced by factors such as L2 proficiency and L2 exposure as well as the difficulty of inference to be made (e.g., conventional vs. nonconventional inference) – particularly difficult inferences could tax working memory capacity. The comprehension of direct speech (acceptances and refusals), conventional indirect speech (acceptances and refusals – some with introductory phrases), and nonconventional indirect speech (opinions) was measured in adult Spanish-English bilinguals (n = 58) and native English speakers (n = 38). L2 speakers generally performed worse than native speakers and were influenced by inference difficulty. They more accurately and quickly comprehended direct speech than nonconventional indirect speech, and most conventional indirect speech items fell between these extremes. L2 proficiency was found to be a strong predictor of both conventional and nonconventional inferencing, with L2 exposure also having some impact. Importantly, L1 working memory capacity was shown to independently contribute to L2 learners’ accuracy on one type of conventional and one type of nonconventional inference. Thus, some pragmatic inferencing may require both enough skill to process the second language and enough working memory capacity to make the inference.
-
Word searches in Persian tutoring sessions
Author(s): Parvaneh Rezaeepp.: 148–173 (26)More LessAbstractWord searches have been widely examined in L1 conversation and L2 conversation. A word search occurs when speakers encounter problems retrieving the words needed to continue their talk, which may be completed by the speakers themselves or other interlocutors. This study uses a conversation analytic framework to analyze word search practices that turn into language learning. The study explores how participants enter word searches and transform them into language learning experiences. The data are from seven hours of video- and/or audio-taped naturally occurring conversations in Persian tutoring sessions between a native Persian-speaking tutor and a native English-speaking tutee. The study reveals that, despite limited linguistic competence, the tutee is an interactionally competent speaker who uses word searches as an interactional resource to solve communication breakdowns. The study also shows how the participants develop word searches into explicit pedagogical opportunities and engage in teaching and learning practices.
-
Task-based interactional sequences in different modalities
Author(s): Xiaofei Tangpp.: 174–198 (25)More LessAbstractRecent research on Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) showed the efficacy of using computer-mediated communication (CMC) to promote second language (L2) learning (Ziegler, 2016). However, few studies compared the interactional sequences during task-based interaction across different modalities (e.g., oral and written chat). It is thus not clear how different task modalities mediate task-based interaction and L2 learning opportunities. To fill this gap, this study compared CMC written chat and face-to-face (FTF) oral chat for interactional sequences during decision-making tasks. Participants were 20 learners of Chinese (high-elementary to intermediate level) in a U.S. university. Ten participants completed the tasks in CMC, while the other 10 completed the same tasks in FTF. The interaction data were analyzed for frequency and patterns of interactional strategies. Three types of interactional sequences emerged in both groups: orientating to tasks, suggesting actions and evaluating suggestions. CMC participants suggested actions more frequently than FTF participants. While both groups predominantly agreed with proposed suggestions, CMC dyads expressed disagreement three times more than FTF dyads. CMC dyads also used more utterances to manage task progress. Findings are discussed in terms of the interactional organizations and their potential influence on task-based language use in different modalities.
-
Mandarin telephone closings among familiars
Author(s): Shu-Yu Huangpp.: 199–226 (28)More LessAbstractThis study compared Mandarin phone closings among familiars in natural conversations with those in Chinese learning textbooks. The natural data was drawn from the CALLFRIEND Mandarin Chinese Corpus (Canavan & Zipperlen, 1996a, 1996b), while the textbook dialogues were extracted from 20 series published in the United States, China, and Taiwan. Based on Button’s (1987) framework, this article adopted corpus-based research to analyze the structural pattern and the linguistic features of closings. It found that Chinese phone closings generally consisted of much repetition and thus were more complex than the archetype Button proposed, which suggests that reaching a mutual agreement is essential in Chinese telephone closings. The pattern of a closing depends on whether the caller is calling to catch up with the recipient or if they have a specific purpose. Common tokens for initiating closings such as jiu zheyang, hao, and xing and relation-enhancing expressions were also identified. However, the current research revealed that most textbook dialogues except for unscripted dialogues do not reflect these characteristics. Therefore, this study argues for the inclusion of unscripted dialogues and instructions that direct learners’ attention to the conversational management of phone closings in Chinese learning textbooks.
Most Read This Month

-
-
Learning pragmatics through tasks
Author(s): Júlia Barón, M. Luz Celaya and Mayya Levkina
-
-
-
Pragmatically speaking
Author(s): Tracey M. Derwing, Erin Waugh and Murray J. Munro
-
- More Less