Bio:
Pino Cutrone is an Associate Professor at Nagasaki University in Japan. He received his PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Reading, UK. With the main objective of informing EFL pedagogy in Japan, his research interests include intercultural pragmatics, sociolinguistics and discourse analysis. He has published widely in the field of applied linguistics.
Presentation title:
Investigating the Effect of Long-Term Study Abroad on the Listenership of Japanese EFL University Students
Abstract:
This presentation will focus on the pragmatic feature of conversation known as Listenership, which can be briefly defined as the ability of a conversational participant to provide adequate listener feedback when they are listening to someone speak. Several studies into this phenomenon have shown that the listenership of Japanese EFL speakers (JEFLs hereafter) differs to that of native-English speakers in many respects (Cutrone 2005, 2014; Maynard 1990, 1997; White, 1989), and such differences often lead to miscommunication, negative perceptions and stereotyping across cultures (Boxer 1993; Blanche 1987; Cutrone 2013; LoCastro 1987). Although JEFLs have experienced great problems in this area, listenership remains largely neglected in EFL pedagogy in Japan (Capper, 2000; Cutrone 2016). There has, however, been some speculation that long-term SA might have an especially positive influence on learner’s pragmatic competence (Cutrone & Datzman, 2015; Tanaka & Ellis, 2003). Hence, the purpose of this study is to help fill the gap that currently exists in the research.
A total of 6 Japanese university students participated in this study (3 females and 3 males). Each student was given pragmatic tests at three points in time: within five days of going abroad (pre-test), within five days of returning to Japan (post-test 1, i.e., right after they had returned from 6-12 months of studying abroad), and approximately one month later (i.e., post-test 2, the delayed post-test). Each of these tests involved participating in an intercultural conversation with a native speaker of English, completing a questionnaire and being interviewed. To determine the efficacy of preparatory instruction, half of the students set to study abroad (N = 3) were given explicit instruction on listenership. This consisted of six (90-minute) instructional sessions whereby the teacher drew students’ attention to various features of conversation, engaged them in discussions on the implications of cross-cultural communication styles and, subsequently, taught them the ‘so-called’ rules of listenership in English (Cutrone 2010). The data was analyzed according to the following assessment criteria of L2 listenership: the ability to approximate the backchannel norms of proficient speakers of English, willingness to communicate, the ability to initiate conversational repair strategies in situations of non-understanding, and Intercultural Communicative Competence. The data derived from this study have yet to be fully analyzed and, thus, it is not possible to report any conclusions at this time.
References:
Blanche, P. (1987). The case for a pedagogy of pragmatics in foreign or second language teaching, RELC Journal, 18(1), 46-71.
Boxer, D. (1993). Complaints as positive strategies: What the learner needs to know. TESOL Quarterly, 27(1), 277-299.
Capper, S. (2000). Nonverbal communication and the second language learner: Some pedagogical considerations, The Language Teacher, 24(5), 19-23.
Cutrone, P. (2016). Explicit vs. Implicit Instruction: Investigating Backchannel Behavior in the
Japanese EFL Classroom, Asian EFL Journal¸ 18(2), 9-88.
Cutrone, P & Datzman, B. R. (2015). Japanese EFL University Students and the Study Abroad Experience: Examining L2 Development and Program Satisfaction after Three Weeks in North America¸ TESOL International Journal¸ 10(2), 24-47.
Cutrone, P. (2014). A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Backchannel Behavior of Japanese and Americans: Considerations for Japanese EFL learners¸ Intercultural Pragmatics, 11(1), 83-120.
Cutrone, P. (2013). Assessing pragmatic competence in the Japanese EFL context. New Castle Upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Cutrone, P. (2010). The Backchannel Norms of Native English Speakers: A Target for Japanese L2 English Learners¸ The University of Reading’s Language Studies Working Papers¸ 2(1), 28-37.
Cutrone,. P. (2005). A Case Study Examining Backchannels in Conversations between Japanese-British Dyads¸ Multilingua - Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, 24(3), 237-274.
LoCastro, V. (1987). Aizuchi: A Japanese conversational routine. In L. Smith (Ed.), Discourse Across Cultures: Strategies in World Englishes (pp. 101-113). London: Prentice Hall.
Maynard, S. K. (1990). Conversation management in contrast: Listener responses in Japanese and American English. Journal of Pragmatics, 14(1), 397-412.
Maynard, S. K. (1997). Analyzing interactional management in native/non-native English conversation: A case of listener response, IRAL, 35(1), 37-60.
Tanaka, K., & Ellis, R. (2003). Study-abroad, language proficiency, and learner beliefs about language learning, JALT Journal, 25(1), 63-84.
White, S. (1989). Backchannels across cultures: A study of Americans and Japanese. Language in Society, 18(1), 59-76.
Additional links: Nagasaki University faculty member’s page be accessed at:
Departmental faculty member’s page can be accessed at:
http://www.hss.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/archives/professors/988
Email: k-pino@nagasaki-u.ac.jp