ABSTRACT
This chapter considers learner-centered, mixed-culture pair and group discussions as a potential tool for developing pragmatic and intercultural awareness among L2 learners and L1 speakers. The study analyzes interactions between learners of Japanese as a second language (J2 learners) and speakers of Japanese as a first language (J1 speakers) as they discuss reasons behind non-stereotypical use of Japanese desu/-masu (addressee honorific) and da/-(r)u (plain) forms in excerpts from a Japanese television series. Results showed that J1 speakers were often instrumental in improving J2 learners’ pragmalinguistic awareness concerning use of the forms, as they encouraged J2 learners to think beyond familiar ideological rules and consider new, more dynamic explanations to account for use of the forms in specific contexts. Participants also often shared personal experiences using the forms, which led to their exposure to different cultural perspectives regarding use of the forms. During the discussions, a shift in focus from the desu/-masu and da/-(r)u forms themselves to the functions they fulfill in interactions, as well as alternative forms that could fulfill the same functions, was also observed. Finally, the study highlights the potential of the interactional behavior of discussants themselves being used as a tool to further develop their pragmatic and intercultural awareness.
