Exploring conversational shadowing

Abstract

The background literature on the repeating of a conversation partner’s words, here called conversational shadowing, shows it to be naturally occurring in L1 acquisition and adult use. This study was motivated by the question ‘What happens when second language learners and native speakers actively shadow each other in conversation?’ I look closely at conversational shadowing through transcripts of recorded conversations between two Japanese learners of English talking with two English native speakers in mixed dyads in which they were instructed to shadow each other. First, it was found that the different sets of data emerging from the two Japanese students reveal that there may be a variety of effective types of shadowing, from those which may lengthen auditory short-term memory to more interactive and naturally selective shadowing that includes commenting and questioning. Secondly, it was found that interactive conversational shadowing gives rise to the types of conversational adjustments and negotiations that are thought to positively affect language acquisition (Long, 1983) through their impact on negotiation, noticing, intake, and uptake. Thirdly, the data highlights different learning advantages for the non-native speakers (NNSs) when shadowing native speakers (NSs) and when being shadowed by NSs. Finally, I attempt to place shadowing developmentally within Vygotskian socio-cultural theory with reference to Bakhtin’s ventriloquation and to outline a generative action research agenda.