JAMES, Daniel
Department Hiroshima shudo University The Faculty of Global and Community Studies Position Professor |
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Language | English |
Publication Date | 2021/09 |
Type | Articles |
Peer Review | With peer review |
Title | Changes in Silence: Patterns and Observations in Intercultural Conversations between Japanese and Exchange Students |
Contribution Type | Single-Authored Publication |
Journal | Studies in The Humanities and Sciences |
Journal Type | Japan |
Publisher | Hiroshima Shudo University |
Volume, Issue, Pages | LXII(1),pp.59-70 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Author and coauthor | Daniel James |
Details | Silence is integral part of communication and in the last decade has become increasingly focussed upon as an area of research in conversation analysis, pragmatics and cognitive behavioural analysis. This paper looks at the changes in patterns of, understanding and appreciation of silence across multiple conversations involving multi-national students over a period of four months. It shows that not only the overall proportion of time students spent “silent” varied with Japanese students becoming less silent and non-Japanese students becoming more silent. It also shows that non-Japanese students were more prepared to wait longer for Japanese students to answer and simultaneously were more conscious of their earlier efforts to fill the gaps of prolonged silence and consciously curbed those efforts which may not have led to a marked change in speaking or silent time but did lead to more balanced and culturally attuned conversations. |