Compliment responses: Comparing American learners of Japanese, native Japanese speakers, and American native English speakers

Abstract

Previous research shows that American learners of Japanese (AJs) tend to differ from native Japanese speakers in their compliment responses (CRs). Yokota (1986) and Shimizu (2009) have reported that AJs tend to respond more negatively than native Japanese speakers. It has also been reported that AJs' CRs tend to lack the use of avoidance or deflection (Yokota, 1986; Saito & Beecken, 1997; Shimizu, 2009). Since no evidence of pragmatic transfer has been reported, it is likely that AJs attempt to conform to the target language (TL). Yet, their attempt often results in deviance. There is a need therefore to investigate the reasons why learners do not always succeed in conforming to the TL norms. This study compares the CRs of the following informant groups: American learners of Japanese (AJs), native Japanese speakers (JJs), and American native English speakers (AEs). It attempts to examine the informants' rationales behind their CRs, which is done through a written discourse completion task (WDCT) format accompanying rank order questions designed to tap into the informants' reasoning. Five types of situations are considered in the WDCT. Two of these have a complimenter of higher status who has expertise in the aspect complimented, while the other two situations involve a compliment addressed to the respondent's parents. In the last situation, informants were asked to respond to an undeserved compliment, such as a situation in which the respondent is complimented on his or her command of the native language due to the complimenter's misunderstanding. Through a comparison of the three informant groups' CRs and their rationales for their CRs, the current study attempts to identify the cause of the disparities between L2 (second or foreign language) learners and TL speakers. Thus, the findings of the present study will raise language instructors' awareness of how and why L2 learners' CRs tend to differ from those of TL speakers. Moreover, this study will offer suggestions for the reevaluation of classroom instruction.