A Comparative Study of the Conversational Styles Between Chinese and Japanese: Based on the Analysis of the Natural Conversations of Compliment Actions
Journal: Journal of Higher Education Research DOI: 10.32629/jher.v3i5.1057
Abstract
In order to reveal the cultural differences and similarities of compliments between Chinese and Japanese, this study shows how compliments are generated and received in natural discourse from native speakers, and how the conversation develops through the contrastive conversation analysis method. We found that both Chinese and Japanese speakers attach great importance to their relationship with each other. Additionally, the importance is represented structurally, making that a distinct feature of this discourse context. It seems that native Chinese speakers tend to quickly grasp the initiative and show their consideration by expressing solidarity and friendship to each other. In contrast, native Japanese speakers complete the conversation by repeating their speech events and cooperating with the other party.
Keywords
compliment discourse, sequence, contrastive study, conversational style, politeness
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[15]Wang Xin (2016) Contrastive study of praise in Japanese and Chinese discourse: Focusing on considerations found in expressions of praise, Journal of Japanese Language and Culture Studies (6): 588-597.
[16]Wang Xin (2017) A study on the precedence chain in the discourse of 'praise': Focusing on a contrastive study of Japanese and Chinese, East Asian Japanese Language and Culture Studies (24): 121-133.
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[19]Kodama, Yasue (1996) The function of praise in a dialogue interview (1): From the perspective of the role of the speaker and the position of praise in discourse, Japanese Language Studies 15: 59-67, Meiji Shoin.
[20]Sekizaki Hiroki, Kim Gung Fen, Zhao Haicheng (2017) Comparison of values that affect the target of praise in Japan, Korea, and China - Through factor analysis of the results of a questionnaire survey of university students, Sociolinguistic Science 20(1): 161-175.
[21]Hayashi, Takuo (2008) Discourse Analysis Approaches: Theory and Practice Kenkyusha
[22]Furukawa, Yuriko (2010) When 'praise' becomes ironic or sarcastic, Japanese Language and Culture 36: 45-57.
[23]Nao Masuda (2009) Comparative study of students' responses to teacher praise between Japan and China, Japanese Language and Culture Studies 13: 106-121, Ritsumeikan University.
[24]Naoko Yamaji (2006) Education of Intercultural Understanding Using Literary Works: Focusing on Praise and its Peripheral Verbal Behaviors Doctoral Dissertation, Graduate School of Comparative Sociocultural Studies, Kyushu University.
[25]Yilin Yang (2012) Transformation of 'praise' culture in Chinese society - from the perspective of cultural resources studies, Kanazawa University Cultural Resources Studies 4:120-126.
[26]Mizuko Matsumura (2010) Listener-Oriented Japanese Politeness, East Asian Japanese Language and Japanese Culture Studies 11: 51-65.
[27]Matsumura Mizuko and Li Hehe (ed.) (2012) 2012 Japanese Materials Collection, Kyushu University Graduate School of Comparative Socio-Cultural Studies, Department of Japanese Socio-Culture Japanese Language Education Course.
[28]Matsumura, Mizuko & Tan Ai Ting (ed.) (2017) 2016 Japanese Materials Collection, Kyushu University Graduate School of Comparative Society and Culture, Institute of Global Social Integration.
[2]Chen-Hsin Tang, Grace Qiao Zhang (2009) A contrastive study of compliment responses among Australian English and Mandarin Chinese speakers, Journal of Pragmatics 41: 325-345.
[3]Chen, Rong (1993) Responding to compliments A contrastive study of politeness strategies between American English and Chinese speakers, Journal of Pragmatics 20: 49-75.
[4]Chen Rong, Yang Dafu (2010) Responding to compliments in Chinese: Has it changed? Journal of Pragmatics 42(7): 1951-1963.
[5]Holmes Janet(1986) Compliments and compliment responses in New Zealand English, Anthropological Linguistics 28(4): 485-508.
[6]Pomerantz Anita (1978) Compliment responses: Notes on the cooperation of multiple constraints, Studies in the Organization of Conversational Interaction, Schenkein, J. (Ed.): 79-112, Academic Press New York.
[7]Tannen Deborah (2005) Conversational style: Analyzing Talk among Friends. Oxford University Press, New York.
[8]Ken Urano (1998) Negative pragmatic transfer in Compliment Responses by Japanese Learners of English, Unpublished term paper submitted to ESL 660 University of Hawaii Manoa, 1998.
[9]Wolfson Nessa(1981) Complments in cross-cultural perspective, TESOL Quarterly 15(2): 117-124.
[10]Yu Ming-chung (2003) On the universality of face:Evidence from Chinese compliment response behavior, Journal of Pragmatics 35(10-11): 1679-1710.
[11]Shoko Ide (2006) Pragmatics of Wakimae. Taishukan Shoten.
[12]Yu Inoue (2002) Role and Significance of 'Contrastive Studies in Language', Contrastive Studies between Japanese and Foreign Languages X Contrastive Studies and Japanese Language Education, National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (ed.): 3-20, Kuroshio Publishing.
[13]Masaru Inoue (2015) Japanese and Chinese 'speaker information' and 'listener-dependent information', A diachronic and contrastive linguistic study of Japanese interrogative sentences, Research presentation.
[14]Yuan Shuai (2012) 'Praise' in contact situations between Japan and China: Focusing on the language behavior and language problems of 'praise' in Chinese learners of Japanese, Language management research on diachronic and synchronic contact situations related to foreignness 10: 107-122.
[15]Wang Xin (2016) Contrastive study of praise in Japanese and Chinese discourse: Focusing on considerations found in expressions of praise, Journal of Japanese Language and Culture Studies (6): 588-597.
[16]Wang Xin (2017) A study on the precedence chain in the discourse of 'praise': Focusing on a contrastive study of Japanese and Chinese, East Asian Japanese Language and Culture Studies (24): 121-133.
[17]Kim, Gung-ho (2007) Praise discourse in Japanese and Korean, Sociolinguistic Science 10(1): 18-32.
[18]Yasue Kodama (1993) Sociocultural Values in Japan and the United States as Seen in Compliments: Focusing on the Topic of Appearance, Language Culture and Japanese Language Education 6: 22-35, Ochanomizu University.
[19]Kodama, Yasue (1996) The function of praise in a dialogue interview (1): From the perspective of the role of the speaker and the position of praise in discourse, Japanese Language Studies 15: 59-67, Meiji Shoin.
[20]Sekizaki Hiroki, Kim Gung Fen, Zhao Haicheng (2017) Comparison of values that affect the target of praise in Japan, Korea, and China - Through factor analysis of the results of a questionnaire survey of university students, Sociolinguistic Science 20(1): 161-175.
[21]Hayashi, Takuo (2008) Discourse Analysis Approaches: Theory and Practice Kenkyusha
[22]Furukawa, Yuriko (2010) When 'praise' becomes ironic or sarcastic, Japanese Language and Culture 36: 45-57.
[23]Nao Masuda (2009) Comparative study of students' responses to teacher praise between Japan and China, Japanese Language and Culture Studies 13: 106-121, Ritsumeikan University.
[24]Naoko Yamaji (2006) Education of Intercultural Understanding Using Literary Works: Focusing on Praise and its Peripheral Verbal Behaviors Doctoral Dissertation, Graduate School of Comparative Sociocultural Studies, Kyushu University.
[25]Yilin Yang (2012) Transformation of 'praise' culture in Chinese society - from the perspective of cultural resources studies, Kanazawa University Cultural Resources Studies 4:120-126.
[26]Mizuko Matsumura (2010) Listener-Oriented Japanese Politeness, East Asian Japanese Language and Japanese Culture Studies 11: 51-65.
[27]Matsumura Mizuko and Li Hehe (ed.) (2012) 2012 Japanese Materials Collection, Kyushu University Graduate School of Comparative Socio-Cultural Studies, Department of Japanese Socio-Culture Japanese Language Education Course.
[28]Matsumura, Mizuko & Tan Ai Ting (ed.) (2017) 2016 Japanese Materials Collection, Kyushu University Graduate School of Comparative Society and Culture, Institute of Global Social Integration.
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