Turn-Taking and Negotiation of Meaning to Construct an Online
Conversation Between Two Low-Intermediate Japanese EFL Learners
Abstract
This illustrative case study aims to explore the use of turn-taking and
negotiation of meaning between two low-intermediate female Japanese
university students and consider pedagogical implications. After a
voice-recorded online conversation between the participants via Zoom was
transcribed by an online automatic transcription tool and the
researcher, a conversation analysis was conducted based on Wong and
Waring (2021). The findings illustrated that the participants utilised
various negotiation strategies, especially confirmation check,
clarification requests, and comprehension check, to elicit more
information about the interlocutor and shift from one conversation topic
to another. Furthermore, their first language communicative beliefs
might play an important role in their use of negotiation and
turn-taking. Therefore, language teachers may need to provide learners
with many opportunities to learn and use various negotiation strategies
in meaning-driven interactive activities whilst appreciating the
learners’ first language communication cultures.