English backchannels in Mandarin conversations: A case study of superstratum pragmatic ‘interference’

Tao, Hongyin; Thompson, Sandra A.

doi:10.1016/0378-2166(91)90093-d

Cited by 86 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The finding that Chinese/Chinese exhibited higher frequencies of backchannel responses than Canadians were in agreement with Clancy et al (1996) who reported that Mandarin Chinese displayed more backchannel responses than English speakers. However, this finding is in disagreement with Tao and Thompson (1991) who found that Mandarin Chinese had lower frequencies of backchannel responses than English speakers. In terms of repetition, our finding that Chinese used more ''repeat'' than Canadians seems consistent with previous research (Clancy et al, 1996).…”

Section: Frequency Of Backchannel Responses and Catcontrasting

confidence: 90%

“…Tao and Thompson (1991) reported that native Chinese who were fluent in English had a tendency to switch code, using English backchannel responses. Heinz (2003) found that German bilinguals had a tendency to converge to American backchannel style even when conversing with their German friends.…”

Section: Categories Of Backchannel Responses and Catmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mizuno (1988) also reported that Chinese used backchannel responses less frequently than Japanese. Comparing English with Mandarin speakers, Tao and Thompson (1991) reported the following: (1) there was a higher frequency of backchannel responses among the English speakers than the Mandarin speakers (25% vs. 8%); (2) there were more overlapping backchannel responses among the English than the Chinese speakers (51% vs. 0%); (3) 19% of the backchannel responses among the English speakers functioned as ''continuers,'' whereas none of the backchannel responses among the Mandarin speakers served as ''continuers,'' rather, they served as indications of understanding, confirmation or agreement. In another study, Tao and Thompson found that native Chinese who were fluent in English had the tendency to switch code, using English backchannel responses when conversing in Mandarin.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Backchannel Responses as Misleading Feedback in Intercultural Discourse

Li¹

2006

Journal of Intercultural Communication Research

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This study examined the relationship between the frequency of backchannel responses and listener recall scores in inter-and intra-cultural conversations. The nature of the study was a simulated physician-patient interaction. Participants were 40 Canadians and 40 Chinese who formed 40 dyads in four experimental conditions: Canadian physician/Canadian patient, Chinese physician/Chinese patient, Chinese physician/ Canadian patient, and Canadian physician/Chinese patient. All conversations were video-taped and micro-analyzed. The data generated three intriguing findings. (1) There were significant positive correlations between backchannel responses and listener recall scores in the two intra-cultural groups, indicating that backchannel responses facilitated content communication. (2) There were significant negative correlations between backchannel responses and listener recall scores in the two inter-cultural groups, indicating that backchannel responses might have served as misleading feedback and caused mis-communication. (3) The Chinese/Chinese condition had the highest backchannel responses; the Canadian/Canadian condition had the lowest with the two inter-cultural groups in between. This finding provides support for the Communication Accommodation theory. Implications for verbal and nonverbal communication training in intercultural interactions were discussed.

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Section: Frequency Of Backchannel Responses and Catcontrasting

confidence: 90%

Section: Categories Of Backchannel Responses and Catmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Backchannel Responses as Misleading Feedback in Intercultural Discourse

Li¹

2006

Journal of Intercultural Communication Research

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“…Tao & Thompson (1991) expressed that in all language communities, listeners are expected to provide appropriate backchanneling signals for interlocutors to indicate that they are listening. In face-to-face communications, listeners' back channeling is virtually continuous in verbal, non-verbal, and semi-verbal ways.…”

Section: Malihehyazdfazeli Khalil Motallebzadeh and Mohammad Ali Fatemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explicit Back-Channel Strategy Training and Improvement of Speaking Skill: Case of Iranian Efl Learners

Yazdfazeli

Motallebzadeh

Fatemi

2017

IEFLJ

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APA Citation: Yazdfazeli, M. Motallebzadeh, K., Fatemi, M. A. (2015). Explicit back-channel strategy training and improvement of speaking skill: case of Iranian EFL learners. Doff (1990) and Harmer (1991), post-test oral proficiency test was administered for experimental and control groups. The findings of pretest and posttest oral exams revealed that EFL language learners' oral performance (speaking) in experimental groups improved. The result revealed that females employed back-channels more often than males when they were participating in a conversation. The type of back-channel both genders employed the most was short utterances, such as 'yes', and the most used function of back-channel was request for clarification. The results of this thesis will provide language teachers, EFL language learners, researchers, material developers, and readers, useful information about the types and functions of back channels that are needed to develop speaking ability appropriately through explicit teaching.

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“…There seems to be some evidence that this transfer works in both directions among highly proficient speakers, creating what Kasper and Blum-Kulka (1993) refer to as "an intercultural style of speaking ... on which [speakers] rely regardless of the language being used (3)." (Blum-Kulka, 1991;Blum-Kulka and Sheffer 1993;Tao and Thompson, 1991).…”

Section: Transfermentioning

confidence: 99%

Acquisition of directives in first and second language: a review of the literature

Valk

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English backchannels in Mandarin conversations: A case study of superstratum pragmatic ‘interference’

Cited by 86 publications

References 5 publications

Backchannel Responses as Misleading Feedback in Intercultural Discourse

Backchannel Responses as Misleading Feedback in Intercultural Discourse

Explicit Back-Channel Strategy Training and Improvement of Speaking Skill: Case of Iranian Efl Learners

Acquisition of directives in first and second language: a review of the literature

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