How Collaborative are Japanese L2 Learners? A Case Study

<p>This case study focused on the conversational characteristics of English dialogs produced by Japanese students who had practiced speaking English for a substantial period. The study participants comprised Japanese college students divided into three groups: A, B, and C. Three aspects of the conversations between student pairs were selected and analyzed based on the basis of existing research trends: content-related episodes, scaffolded assistance, and knowledge-building and problem-solving efforts. The researcher qualitatively analyzed the dialogs produced by the students assigned to Group C, which most exhibited collaborative interactions by participants. Some typical examples of scaffolded assistance strategies were subsequently examined and discussed. The results revealed that Group C students effectively used three types of assistance strategies in their dialogs to sustain their conversations: offering word suggestions to speakers, self-amendment to benefit listeners, and providing examples that could help speakers and listeners. This case study specifically addressed typical conversation strategies to elucidate the communication attributes of free conversations featuring Japanese L2 learners. The study aimed primarily to determine the actual nature of the conversation-related behaviors and abilities of Japanese college students rather than to compare the English communication abilities of the three student groups.</p>