ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the use of mimetics by a single learner at some different stages, tracing the development of proficiency in Japanese as a second language (L2). Research has noted difficulties associated with the acquisition of Japanese mimetics by adult learners. The chapter examines the developmental characteristics of Japanese mimetics by a single adult learner. Yet, it is important to note that using the same stimuli with the same participant over different time points is most suited to the examination of developmental changes, as the approach minimizes the influence of other variables, such as variations in topic, situation and individual traits. The view that gesture and mimetics both belong to the same mode of representation raises an interesting question as to the role of gestures in L2, and whether the two aspects of depiction, i.e. mimetics and gesture, develop together in L2.
