Comparative Study of Discourse Structures in Japanese and American Debating

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This research project has reexamined and proposed tentative models of analyzing discourse structures of "Academic Debate"-educational/competitive debate practiced in Japan and the United States. It also involves audio/video recording of those debates as well as transcribing them. The tentative models have been applied to the analysis of those transcribed debates.The data collection was successful in Japanese participants debating in Japanese and English in line with the originally planned number of debates. The number of collected debate speeches was smaller than the original plan for American participants debating in English due to unexpected decline in the participants in targeted debate tournaments.One of the examined frames of analysis is based on the logical structure of arguments (Toulmin's Model). In coding elements of arguments that appear in debate speeches, the decision was based on the intention of the speaker judged by members of the target speech community ("debate community") including the head investigator. A tentative comparison was conducted based on the linear time order of the elements that consist of arguments.In order to pursue more detailed analysis of discourse structures, attempts have been made to apply "Linguistic Approach" of Discourse Analysis to debate speeches. Debate speeches were analyzed in order to establish "moves" and "acts" that specifically characterize discourse structures in debate. These analyses involve determination of temporal and hierarchical relationship of the discourse units in debate speeches. They also involve their interaction (e.g., presentation of argument, proof, question, response, counterargument).Results of the research project will be submitted as conference papers and journal papers, which are currently under preparation.