Stance-taking: JFL Learners and Benefactive Verbs

Abstract

This study explores how JFL learners take a benefactive stance in Japanese. As Jaffe (2009) observes, stance-taking "plays a complex role with respect to the naturalization of social and linguistic ideologies and the social structures they legitimate." The way in which language is used to take a stance always concerns the social context in which a speaker finds her/himself. In Japanese, benefactive verbs (kureru, ageru, morau and their honorific and humble equivalents) are indispensable stance indicators for showing gratitude or indebtedness. Such expressions do not really exist in English and their grammar is complex. It is assumed that JFL learners will struggle with taking a benefactive stance using those expressions. In order to analyze JFL learners' stance-taking, data were collected from narrative interviews with ten JFL learners who are currently in 300-and 400-level university courses. In order to explore how learners attempt to show stance-reflecting benefaction, they were asked questions that aimed to elicit a speaker's feelings of gratitude. Some examples of such questions are, "Who do you appreciate the most in your life?" or "Who is the most generous person you know?" The data show that (1) learners do use (or attempt to use) benefactive verbs to ii indicate stance, (2) they also fail to use benefactive verbs in contexts where they are called for, and (3) they misuse benefactive verbs, e.g., using ageru instead of kureru. Furthermore, it revealed that learners tend to show stance using adjectives, adverbs, or ritual expressions that show appreciation but they fail to utilize benefactive. This failure to project a benefactive stance can lead to miscommunication and/or misunderstanding between learners and Japanese speakers. I offer possible ways to promote learners' awareness of the benefaction in Japanese culture. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my thesis advisor, Dr. Patricia Wetzel, for her continuous support, patience, inspiration, and encouragement. It has been my honor to be her last M.A. student. Without her guidance, I could not have completed this project. I truly cannot thank her enough. I would also like to thank the other members of my thesis committee, Dr. Jon Holt and Dr. Suwako Watanabe, for giving me great advice on my research and their support throughout my years at PSU. My sincere thanks also go to the other faculty members, Dr. Karen Curtin and Dr. Lawrence Kominz for offering their support and inspiration. They always inspired me to become a scholar in this field. I am also indebted to my colleagues who shared friendships and encouragement during my years at PSU. I have been blessed to work with this amazing team, a list that includes