ALAA 2016_Barraja-Rohan_self-presentational sequences in L2.pptx
ALAA Conference December 2016
Learning to produce expanded responses across time in English as an additional language
Anne-Marie Barraja-Rohan
Monash University
This paper responds to the need of exploring longitudinal interactions in the wild using conversation analysis to increase our understanding of L2 interactional competence. It examines five interactions involving two adult Japanese exchange students in an Australian university. Akiko and Meg were each videoed using English as L2 outside of class in three dyadic and one triadic interactions with two Australian native speakers of English over seven months. Akiko and Meg respectively interacted with one of L1 speaker on a regular basis and met a newcomer in the last triadic interaction.
This study documents changes in both Akiko and Meg’s L2 interactional competence by exploring how (1) Akiko gradually produced expanded responses to self-presentational questions and (2) Meg manoeuvred the turn-taking system in responding to a troublesome presentation-eliciting question, which Akiko also experienced.
Self-presentational questions occur in first encounters and usually generate a sequence whereby the answerer produces an expanded response (Svennevig, 1999). The aim of these questions is to find common ground to engage in topical talk and usually conversationalists reciprocate these questions to get to know each other as well as self-disclose. In her first interaction with John, Akiko mostly remained in the listener role generally providing short turns. This meant that when answering self-presentational questions, she did not naturally expand and John engaged in active co-construction to achieve a more comprehensive response. This pattern still occurred two months later when she interacted with John for the second time. Five months later, self-presentational questions re-emerged when Akiko interacted with John and a newcomer. After clarifying a misunderstanding, Akiko produced an expanded response with post expansion without active co-construction. In both cases – Akiko and Meg – there is evidence that learning, although different for each focal participant, occurred at a subtle interactional level (Nguyen, 2011).
References:
Nguyen, H. T. (2011). A longitudinal microanalysis of a second language learner's participation. In G. Pallotti & J. Wagner (Eds.), L2 Learning as Social Practice Conversation-Analytic Perspectives (pp. 17-44). Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i, National Foreign Language Resource Center.
Svennevig, J. (1999). Getting Acquainted in Conversation. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
