Cover not available
Article published In:
Applied Pragmatics
Vol. 1:2 (2019) ► pp.154–183

L2 Chinese learners’ pragmatic developmental patterns in data-driven instruction and computer-mediated communication (CMC)

A case of Chinese sentence final particle ne

| Amazon Service Inc.

This study examined second language (L2) Chinese learners’ developmental patterns of pragmatic competence in two computer-mediated communication (CMC) conditions: (1) CMC with data-driven instruction embedded in the course of CMC and (2) CMC without data-driven instruction. Learners’ pragmatic competence was operationalized as their ability to use a Chinese sentence final particle (SFP) ne during CMC with a native speaker partner. The study investigated: (1) whether learners (as a group) developed their use of ne over time in the two CMC conditions, and (2) how individual learners changed their use of ne (if any) in the two conditions. The quantitative analysis (token and type frequency of ne) revealed that CMC itself did not promote learners’ use of ne. However, it promoted learners’ production of ne when data-driven instruction was incorporated into CMC. Supporting the quantitative findings, the qualitative analysis showed that one learner in the CMC with data-driven instruction outperformed his counterpart in the CMC without data-driven instruction group in the diverse use of ne.

Keywords: Computer-mediated communication (CMC), pragmatic development, L2 Chinese
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1CMC without data-driven instruction
    • 2.2CMC with data-driven instruction
  • 3.Chinese sentence final particles (SFPs)
  • 4.Research questions
  • 5.Methods
    • 5.1Participants
    • 5.2Data collection
    • 5.3Instructional materials
    • 5.4Knowledge test of SFPs
    • 5.5Data analysis
  • 6.Results
    • 6.1Quantitative findings
    • 6.2Qualitative findings
      • 6.2.1The case of Mike from the control group
      • 6.2.2The case of Evan from the experimental group
  • 7.Discussion
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 12 November 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ap.19006.li
References
Abrams, Z.
(2013) Say what?! L2 sociopragmatic competence in CMC: Skill transfer and development. CALICO Journal, 301, 423–445. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Belz, J. A., & Kinginger, C.
(2003) Discourse options and the development of pragmatic competence by classroom learners of German: The case of address forms. Language Learning, 531, 591–647. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Belz, J. A., & Vyatkina, N.
(2005) Learner corpus analysis and the development of L2 pragmatic competence in networked inter-cultural language study: The case of German modal particles. Canadian Modern Language Review, 621, 17–48. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2008) The pedagogical mediation of a developmental learner corpus for classroom-based language instruction. Language Learning & Technology, 121, 33–52.Google Scholar
Chu, C.
(1984) Beef it up with NE. Journal of Chinese Language Teachers’ Association, 191, 87–91.Google Scholar
Culpeper, J., Mackey, A. & Taguchi, N.
(2018) Second language pragmatics: From theory to research. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cunningham, D. J.
(2016) Request modification in synchronous computer-mediated communication: The role of focused instruction. The Modern Language Journal, 1001, 1–24. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2017) Second language pragmatic appropriateness in telecollaboration: The influence of discourse management and grammaticality. System, 641, 46–57. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2019) L2 pragmatics learning in computer-mediated communication. In N. Taguchi (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and pragmatics (pp. 371–386). New York, NY: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cunningham, D. J., & Vyatkina, N.
(2012) Telecollaboration for professional purposes: Towards developing a formal register in the foreign language classroom. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 681, 422–450. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dings, A.
(2014) Interactional competence and the development of alignment activity. The Modern Language Journal, 981, 742–756. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ellis, N. C.
(2016) Constructions and usage-based approaches to language acquisition. Language Learning, 661, 23–44. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Eskildsen, S. W.
(2015) What counts as a developmental sequence? Exemplar-based L2 learning of English questions. Language Learning, 651, 33–62. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gonzales, A.
(2013) Development of politeness strategies in participatory online environments: A case study. In N. Taguchi & J. Sykes (Eds.), Technology in interlanguage pragmatics research and teaching (pp. 101–119). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gonzalez-Lloret, M.
(2008) “No me llames de usted, tratame de tu”: L2 address behavior development through synchronous computer-mediated communication (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Hawai’i, Hawai’i.Google Scholar
Huang, K.
(2007) Initial of sentence-final particles in Mandarin Chinese. Presented at the 21st pacific Asia conference on language information and computation proceedings , 182–191.
Kakegawa, T.
(2009) Development of the use of Japanese sentence-final particles through email correspondence. In N. Taguchi (Ed.), Pragmatic competence (pp. 301–325). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Kasper, G., & Rose, K.
(1999) Pragmatics and SLA. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 191, 81–104. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kim, E. Y. A., & Brown, L.
(2014) Negotiating pragmatic competence in computer mediated communication: The case of Korean address terms. CALICO Journal, 311, 264–284. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kinginger, C., & Belz, J. A.
(2005) Socio-cultural perspectives on pragmatic development in foreign language learning: Microgenetic case studies from telecollaboration and residence abroad. Intercultural Pragmatics, 21, 369–421. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Law, S. P.
(1990) The syntax and phonology of Cantonese sentence-final particle (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Boston University.Google Scholar
Lee-Wong, S. M.
(1998) Face support-Chinese particles as mitigators: A study of BA A/YA and NE. Pragmatics, 81, 387–404. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Li, C. & Thompson, S.
(1981) Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Li, Q.
(2016) Variations in developmental patterns across pragmatic features. Studies of Second Language Learning and Teaching, 61, 587–617. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Li, Q., Taguchi, N., & Tang, X.
(2018) Pragmatic development via CMC-based data-driven instruction: Chinese sentence final particles. In A. Sanchez & A. Herraiz Martinez (Eds.), Learning second language pragmatics beyond traditional contexts (pp. 49–86). Bern: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
Li, Q., Zhang, H., & Taguchi, N.
(2017) The use of mitigation devices in heritage learners of Chinese. Heritage Language Journal, 141, 150–170.Google Scholar
Lin, W.
(1984) What does the Mandarin particle NE communicate? Cahiers de Linguistique – Asie Orientale, 321, 219–240.Google Scholar
Lin, W., Huang, H., & Liou, H.
(2013) The effects of text-based SCMC on SLA: A meta-analysis. Language Learning & Technology, 171, 123–142.Google Scholar
Nguyen, T. T. M.
(2013) Instructional effects on the acquisition of modifiers in constructive criticism by EFL learners. Language Awareness, 221, 76–94. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Satar, H., & Ozdener, N.
(2008) The effect of synchronous CMC on speaking proficiency and anxiety: Text versus voice-chat. The Modern Language Journal, 921, 595–613. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Shei, C.
(2014) Understanding the Chinese language: A comprehensive linguistic introduction. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Taguchi, N.
(2010) Longitudinal studies in interlanguage pragmatics. In A. Trosborg (Ed.), Handbook of pragmatics, Vol.7: Pragmatics across languages and cultures (pp. 333–361). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
(2015a) “Contextually” speaking: A survey of pragmatic learning abroad, in class, and online. System, 481, 3–20. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2015b) Instructed pragmatics at a glance: Where instructional studies were, are, and should be going. Language Teaching, 481, 1–50. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2017) Interlanguage pragmatics: a historical sketch and future directions. In A. Barron, G. J. Steen, & Y. Gu (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of pragmatics. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Taguchi, N., Li, Q., & Tang, X.
(2017) Learning Chinese formulaic expressions in a scenario-based interactive environment. Foreign Language Annals, 501, 641–660. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Taguchi, N., Naganuma, N., & Budding, C.
(2015) Does instruction alter the naturalistic pattern of pragmatic development? A case of request speech act. TESL-EJ, 191, 1–25.Google Scholar
Taguchi, N., Zhang, H., Li, Q.
(2017) Pragmatic competence of heritage learners of Chinese and its relationship to social contact. Chinese as a Second Language Research, 61, 7–37. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Vyatkina, N., & Belz, J. A.
(2006) A learner corpus-driven intervention for the development of L2 pragmatic competence. In K. Bardovi-Harlig, C. Félix-Brasdefer, & A. S. Omar (Eds.), Pragmatics and language learning (pp. 315–357). Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai’i, National Foreign Language Resource Center.Google Scholar
Yang, C.
(2013) Acquisition of three Chinese sentence-final particles by English learners. Research on Chinese Teaching, 101, 61–88.Google Scholar
Zhang, D.
(2014) More than “Hello” and “Bye-bye”: Opening and closing the online chats in Mandarin Chinese. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 271, 528–54. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by

Cited by 9 other publications

Cunningham, Darren Joseph
2023. Computer‐Mediated Communication and Pragmatics. In The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Fang, Tao, Jingwei Li, Xiang Zhang & Xiaowen Dong
2021. Classification accuracy improvement of the optical diffractive deep neural network by employing a knowledge distillation and stochastic gradient descent β-Lasso joint training framework. Optics Express 29:26 ► pp. 44264 ff. DOI logo
Li, Qiong & Naoko Taguchi
2023. Chapter 11. Usage-based approach to teaching L2 pragmatics. In L2 Pragmatics in Action [Language Learning & Language Teaching, 58], ► pp. 267 ff. DOI logo
Maa, Joy & Naoko Taguchi
2022. Using L2 interactional-pragmatic resources in CMC: A case of Japanese orthography and emoji. Language Teaching Research 26:2 ► pp. 190 ff. DOI logo
Mengu, Deniz, Yifan Zhao, Nezih T. Yardimci, Yair Rivenson, Mona Jarrahi & Aydogan Ozcan
2021. Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, ► pp. FM3L.7 ff. DOI logo
Taguchi, Naoko
2020. Digitally mediated remote learning of pragmatics. Foreign Language Annals 53:2 ► pp. 353 ff. DOI logo
TAGUCHI, NAOKO
2021. Learning and Teaching Pragmatics in the Globalized World: Introduction to the Special Issue. The Modern Language Journal 105:3 ► pp. 615 ff. DOI logo
Taguchi, Naoko
2024. Technology-enhanced language learning and pragmatics: Insights from digital game-based pragmatics instruction. Language Teaching 57:1 ► pp. 57 ff. DOI logo
Taguchi, Naoko, Daniel H. Dixon, Yuqing Qin & Ying Chen
2022. Pedagogic tasks in digital games: Effects of feedback conditions and individual characteristics on learning request-making. Language Teaching Research ► pp. 136216882211108 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 23 march 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.