Date of Award
1-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Modern Languages
First Advisor
Vance Schaefer
Second Advisor
Tamara Warhol
Third Advisor
Cheng-Fu Chen
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Backchannel responses (Yngve, 1970) have always been an essential component of conversational interactions that facilitate speaker-listener engagement and mutual shaping of narratives (Bavelas et al., 2000). This study aims to investigate the cross-linguistic difference in backchannelling responses between Taiwan Mandarin and English (General American) second language (L2) learners, and how those differences might impact communication in a cross-cultural classroom. The current study examines 20 participants, ten each from Taiwan Mandarin speakers and American English speakers. Each speaker was observed in an online conversation to eliminate the influence of non-verbal cues such as gestures and facial expressions. The backchannelling responses they used were transcribed and the frequency of these words were analyzed, with particular attention given to those backchannelling responses words that impede listeners comprehension and lead to misunderstandings. This study seeks to recognize some easily misunderstood backchannelling responses in conversations to assist language teachers in identifying which aspects of backchannelling responses they should put emphasis on as important aspects of pragmatic language instruction. Furthermore, the study aims to help L2 learners of English and Mandarin Chinese, especially Taiwan Mandarin, to apply more authentic conversational skills to improve performance in a cross-cultural context.
Recommended Citation
Hsu, Chien-Hui, "Crosscultural Backchannelling Responses Among Second Language Learners" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2820.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2820