Jun Zhao PhD Candidate Second Language Acquisition and Teaching-GIDP 17th International Conference on Pragmatics & Language Learning University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii March 26-28, 2007

"You should" Or "If I were you, I would?"
ABSTRACT
Can highly advanced L2 speakers realize the same speech acts as native speakers? This study investigated how seven non-native-speaking (NNS) English composition instructors provided suggestions, gave comments and praises to their students during conferences to help them improve their writings. Seven native-speaking (NS) instructors’ data were used as baseline data for comparison. Given that all instructors have the authority/power in this communicative setting, the researchers were interested in finding out whether NNS instructors and NS instructors demonstrate similar patterns while interacting with students.

Analysis of the data (audiotaped conferences between instructors and students) focused on certain pragmalinguistic features such as intensifiers, softeners, moves, pronouns, modal auxiliary verbs, and level of directness. The results indicated that NNS instructors organized these educational conversations in the same moves as NS instructors, such as initiating topics, inviting students’ participation, changing topics, and ending the conversation. However, they are not as subtle and skillful (degree of indirectness) as NS instructors in their suggestions to the students. NNS instructors used “you should /want/need/have to…” more frequently. In contrast, NS instructors used “If I were you, I would…” or “You might think about…” more often in their suggestions. Thus, NNS instructors sound more direct and authoritative than their NS counterparts, which could be face-threatening to the students. NS instructors used more intensifiers while praising the students’ writings. They are more encouraging and provide more positive feedback to their students than NNS instructors. NNS instructors did not use as many softeners and moves as NS counterparts in their comments to the students.

Unlike the American educational practice of providing positive feedbacks to the students, in some cultures, teachers are supposed to point out only the problematic areas for the students’ benefits. This might explain the different pragmatic choices between NNS and NS instructors as this study found out. This study sheds light on the issue of International Teaching Assistant training at American educational setting. How should ITAs establish their credibility before their native-speaking students, but maintain a harmonious relationship with their students at the same time? Our study indicated that proper choices of speech acts needs to be taught as a skill to ITAs.

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