Abstract
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.