The Influence of Gender-differentiated Speech Styles on Task-based Conversational Interactions in a Foreign Language

性別所屬談話風格對外語會話互動的影響

黃昭寧(Chao-Ning Huang)

指導教授 ： 蘇怡如

國立清華大學/人文社會學院/外國語文學系/碩士(2011年)

摘要

摘要

根據第二語言習得的研究，性別在會話互動中扮演重要的角色，但是鮮少有文章探討性別是如何影響外語學習者在任務導向互動(task-based interactions)中的語言相關片段(language-related episodes, LREs)，以及這些影響是否與因性別而異的談話風格(gender-differentiated speech styles)有關。本文建立在既有的研究成果上，加入了談話風格的分析，以期能探討說話者性別(speaker gender)以及性別配對(gender composition of dyad)(異性組或同性組)如何影響任務導向互動中語言相關片段的多寡及解決情形，並發掘談話風格(speech styles)如何影響談話者本身及對方的語言相關片段，以致在第二外語習得上有不同的學習機會。
24位臺灣籍的英語學習者(共12位女性及12位男性)參與了這項研究，每一位學習者皆被分配到一組同性兩人小組和一組異性兩人小組去對話。每一位學習者在每組小組當中用第二語言(英語)完成了一項文本重組活動 (text-reconstruction task)及用第一語言(華語) 完成了看影片回想(stimulated recall)。在文本重組活動中的語言產出是要用來分析語言相關片段的，而語言相關片段過去已由實證研究顯示有助於第二語言習得。在看影片回想階段的回想評論則是要用來分類說話者的談話風格。根據Lakoff 和 Tannen (1984)的文章，談話風格分為疏遠型、討好型、友誼型、及清晰型四種風格。
研究結果顯示說話者性別和性別配對(異性組或同性組)都不會對語言相關片段的提問及回答頻率產生顯著影響，然而，性別配對卻會顯著影響到回答的答案是否正確。比起在同性組的表現，女性和男性在異性組時皆比較容易給予正確的解答。關於談話風格，疏遠型和清晰型兩種談話風格則呈現性別差異：疏遠型有較多男性，而清晰型有較多女性。可能是因為女性比男性更用心地配合這份文本重組活動的規定，於是積極地專注在語言是否正確，導致女性呈現出就事論事的清晰型風格。說話者的談話風格並不會顯著影響她/他自己在語言相關片段的提問頻率及回答情形。然而，有趣的是說話者的談話風格竟會顯著影響到與談人的回答意願。疏遠型人(較多男性)較可能提高與談人的回答意願，因而可以聽到較多答案；相反地，清晰型的人(較多女性)較容易降低與談人的回答意願，因而聽到較少答案。女性似乎進退兩難，因為傾向配合本活動，於是表現出清晰型的談話風格，但是卻因清晰型的談話風格降低了與談人的回答意願。
本研究探討性別及談話風格在第二語言會話互動中扮演的角色，期望結果有助於教學上的課堂分組，例如藉由異性組來提高正確度、同性組提高流暢度；及理論上解釋因性別而異的談話風格為何存在，並進而指出因性別而異的談話風格會影響到與談人的語言相關片段。

關鍵字

性別所屬談話風格

並列摘要

ABSTRACT

While research in second language acquisition (SLA) suggests that gender plays an important role in conversational interactions, few studies have investigated how gender influences language-related episodes (LREs) in task-based interactions in foreign language learners and whether the influence of gender is related to gender-differentiated speech styles. The current study built on existing findings by including analysis of speech styles in order to investigate how speaker gender and gender composition of dyad (i.e., mixed- vs. same-gender dyad) affect the frequencies of incidences and resolutions of LREs in task-based L2 interactions, and how gender-differentiated speech styles affect the speakers’ and the interlocutors’ LREs, thus creating different learning opportunities for SLA.
Subjects were 24 Taiwanese learners of English, consisting of 12 females and 12 males. Each one of them needed to interact in both a same-gender dyad and a mixed-gender dyad. Each learner completed a text-reconstruction task in a dyad in the L2 (English) and a stimulated recall in the L1 (Mandarin Chinese) individually. Their language production in text-reconstruction tasks was analyzed for the use of LREs, which have been empirically demonstrated to benefit SLA. Their recall comments in stimulated recall sessions were collected for the analysis of speech styles. Drawing on the study of Lakoff and Tannen (1984), the current study divided the speech styles into four categories: distance, deference, camaraderie, and clarity.
Results indicated that neither speaker gender nor gender composition of dyad (i.e., mixed- vs. same-gender dyad) influenced the frequencies of incidences or resolutions of LREs; however, gender composition of dyad significantly determined whether the LRE resolutions would be targetlike or non-targetlike. Both females and males appeared to resolve LREs in a more targetlike way when working with a mixed-gender partner than with a same-gender partner. With respect to gender-differentiated speech styles, they were found in the styles of distance and clarity, with more males adopting the distance style and more females the clarity style. One possible explanation of this finding is that females were more attentive and cooperative than males to the goal of the text-reconstruction task which required participants to focus on linguistic accuracy. Therefore, more females than males displayed the style of clarity who emphasize the pure expression of factual information in conversational interactions. One’s speech style did not significantly influence her/his own performance on the initiations or resolutions of LREs. However, it is interesting to find that one’s speech style significantly affected the interlocutor’s willingness to give LRE resolutions. Speakers of the distance style (more males) were more likely to increase the interlocutors’ willingness to offer LRE resolutions and thus received more input. On the other hand, speakers of the clarity style (more females) tended to decrease the interlocutors’ willingness to give provide LRE resolutions and thus received less input. The result appears to be a double bind for females in task-based interactions. Females tended to abide by the goal of text-reconstruction task and adopted clarity style, which nonetheless turned off their interlocutors’ willingness to offer LRE resolutions.
This study investigated the role of gender and speech style in L2 interaction. By linking gender and speech styles to L2 interaction, this study provides a preliminary finding on the gender-differentiated speech styles and their effects on L2 interaction.

並列關鍵字

Gender-differentiated Speech Styles

參考文獻

Shih, Y. (1984). A sociolinguistic study of male-female language differences (in Chinese). Teaching and Research, 6, 207-229.

Aries, E. (1976). Interaction patterns and themes of male, female, and mixed groups. Small Group Research, 7(1), 7-18.

Cheshire, J., & Trudgill, P. (1998). The Sociolinguistics Reader (Vol. 2). New York: Arnold.

Coates, J. (2004). Women, Men and Language: A Sociolinguistic Account of Gender Differences in Language (3rd ed.). London; New York: Longman.

Farris, C. (2000). Cross-sex peer conflict and the discursive production of gender in a Chinese preschool in Taiwan. Journal of Pragmatics, 32(5), 539-568.