In this small-scope study, a number of hesitation markers of Chinese learners of English were investigated. While other learner groups, such as French learners of English, have been investigated quite thoroughly, Chinese learners have as of yet not had much time in the spotlight. The research question is as follows: "How do Chinese learners of English use hesitation markers?"
When thinking about language and what constitutes it, hesitation markers may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Other linguistic factors, such as intensifiers (for example, 'very', 'really' which strengthen the meaning of a message), backchannels ('uh-huh' and other such words used in order to maintain a conversation), and errors (for example, the usage of 'false friends' or other mistakes made by the speaker) may seem a more important topic to investigate. In fact, "hesitation markers are often not admitted within the bounds of lexis and grammar - in authoritative reference works they can be summarily dismissed or all but ignored".
However, hesitation markers are in fact quite interesting to study, and what makes them so important is the correlation they have with fluency. Fluency is often named as the aim of a learner of any language - to appear as secure in a language as a native speaker. In general, it can be said that the more fluent a speaker is, the less hesitation they use since many linguistic insecurities fall away with more practice. No matter the specific speaker situation, hesitation markers play a big role in everyday conversations, and all of these factors constitute what makes them worth investigating.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theory
2.1 Hesitation markers
2.2 The importance of hesitation markers
2.3 China, Chinese learners of English
2.4 Previous research on the topic
2.4.1 Hesitation markers
2.4.2 Learners of English
3. Methodology and Data
4. Results, Discussion of Results
5. Conclusion, Future outlook
Research Objective and Scope
This study investigates the usage of hesitation markers—specifically filled pauses, smallwords, and discourse markers—by Chinese learners of English. It aims to determine if this learner group exhibits different hesitation patterns compared to other learner groups, such as French learners, by examining data from the LINDSEI-Chinese corpus.
- Analysis of filled pauses in English language acquisition.
- Comparative examination of hesitation markers across different linguistic backgrounds.
- Investigation into the correlation between hesitation markers and speaker fluency.
- Evaluation of the pragmatic function of discourse markers in Chinese learners.
- Empirical assessment of learner behavior based on a corpus-based approach.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Hesitation markers
In the most basic terms, hesitation means pausing during a conversation. This can be done by using a silent pause (i.e. not saying anything for 1-3 seconds, or longer), or a filled pause. When using a silent pause, it can seem quite peculiar if one of the conversation parties does not speak for a long time, without the topic or the seriousness of the context warranting it. In these cases, the speech turn would usually go to the other speaker and it may feel awkward to pick up again where the first speaker stopped speaking. This, in turn, can lead to further insecurity and more hesitation on the side of the hesitating speech party. Thus, filled pauses can make more sense when speaking to someone - but, of course, in most cases, speakers do not ‘choose’ to hesitate via silent pauses, but are insecure of their words, and struggle to express their thoughts as easily as they would in their native language. Thus, a silent pause is not really a wrong choice, but rather seems like the only choice in some situations, when words fail someone trying to find the best way to state what they think.
Although silent pauses can make a speaker lose their speech turn, not all hesitation markers cause this. Quite on the contrary, a non-silent pause filled by a hesitation marker can be quite beneficial. According to researcher Dr. Gaëtanelle Gilquin, who is especially familiar with French learners of English, “since speech is dialogic in nature, it is important that a speaker should indicate that s/he needs a moment’s reflection, but is still “in control” of his/her turn” (2008:120). This ensures that the other party will, for the most part, wait for the speaker, and the conversation will be more fluent than if a speech party would stay silent for prolonged periods of time.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research focus on hesitation markers, outlines the importance of studying them in Chinese learners of English, and states the primary hypothesis.
2. Theory: Explains the conceptual background of hesitation markers, their linguistic importance, and reviews existing studies on learner languages.
3. Methodology and Data: Describes the use of the LINDSEI-Corpus, the specific research variables, and the tools applied for quantitative analysis.
4. Results, Discussion of Results: Details the empirical findings and compares them with previous research, evaluating the prevalence of different hesitation markers.
5. Conclusion, Future outlook: Summarizes the findings regarding Chinese learners' usage of hesitation markers and suggests directions for future research.
Keywords
Hesitation markers, Chinese learners of English, Corpus linguistics, LINDSEI-Corpus, Filled pauses, Smallwords, Discourse markers, Learner language, Fluency, Pragmatic markers, Language acquisition, Linguistic confidence, Spoken English, Communicative competence, Quantitative analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper focuses on the usage of hesitation markers, such as filled pauses and discourse markers, specifically among Chinese students learning English.
Which linguistic phenomena are considered central to the research?
The research centers on "filled pauses" (e.g., 'uh', 'em'), "smallwords" (e.g., 'kind of'), and "discourse markers" (e.g., 'you know', 'well') as key elements of spoken fluency.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The goal is to determine how Chinese learners of English employ hesitation markers and whether their behavior significantly differs from that of other learner groups, such as French learners.
Which methodology was employed to conduct the analysis?
The author conducted a corpus-based study using the LINDSEI-Corpus, applying software like WordSmith and AntConc to analyze 338,145 words of speech data.
What topics are explored in the theoretical section?
The theoretical part covers the definition of hesitation, the role of silence versus filled pauses in conversation, and a literature review of previous studies concerning learner language.
How is the work characterized in terms of its research scope?
The study is characterized as a "small-scope" research project that serves as a foundational step for future, more extensive linguistic investigations into learner behavior.
Why were Chinese learners chosen for this specific investigation?
Chinese learners were selected because they have received relatively little attention in this specific field compared to other learner groups like French speakers.
What was a surprising finding regarding the results of the LINDSEI-Chinese corpus?
A notable finding was that the common hesitation marker 'uh' did not appear at all in the investigated dataset, which contrasted with expectations of everyday usage.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Michelle Blum (Autor:in), 2019, The Usage of Hesitation by Chinese Learners of English. A Corpus-Based Study, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1128282
