A study of conflict management by Japanese learners of English in conversation

本研究旨在探讨日本英语学习者如何处理（或未能处理）面对面互动中的冲突情境。首先，通过话语分析方法，录音对话数据，包括参与者之间的分歧，争论和谈判，学习者和英语本族语者之间的几个显着差异被确定。然后对同一学习者群体进行跟踪分析，观察他们如何改善冲突管理。结果表明，学习者在一个英语国家逗留六周后，开始使用本族语者典型的语言手段和话语策略。这些实证研究结果表明，学习者可以通过与目标语母语者的互动和模仿来获得更多的类似母语者的冲突解决技能。

This study investigates how Japanese learners of English handle (or fail to handle) conflictive situations in face-to-face interaction. First, through discourse analytic approaches to audio-taped conversation data that included disagreements, arguments, and negotiations among participants, several distinct differences between the learners and native speakers of English were identified. Then a follow-up analysis on the same learner group was conducted to observe how they might improve their management of conflicts. The results showed that the learners, after a six-week sojourn in an English speaking country, started employing linguistic devices and discourse strategies typical to native speakers. These empirical findings suggest that learners may acquire more native-like conflict resolution skills by interacting with and imitating native speakers of the target language.