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Title:
Cross-Linguistic Influence in Answering Tag Questions: The Influence of L1 on L2 among Chinese ESL Learners in the US
Abstract:
Tag questions commonly appear not only in daily conversations but also in educational contexts (Wei, Leung and Sun, 2023). The way of answering the tag question in Chinese and English is different. In Chinese, answers to tag questions target the semantic meaning of the sentence, while, in English, answers to tag questions are conformed to the fact itself. So, when verbally answering English tag questions, Chinese English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners may often provide confusing responses due to the influence of their first language (L1). This type of L1 influence in answering English tag questions happens to most Chinese ESL learners, even to those who have studied or lived in an English-speaking country for some time. This study aims at investigating whether the duration of studying or living in the US helps Chinese ESL learners reduce L1 influence when answering English tag questions.
The proposed study will conduct a comparative analysis between two groups of participants with different lengths of stay in the US. The first group will consist of fifteen individuals who have been studying or living in the US for less than five consecutive years, while the second group will include fifteen participants who have lived in the US for more than five consecutive years. Participants from both groups will complete an experimental questionnaire and a metalinguistic awareness study, each containing 15 questions (10 experimental items + 5 distractors) with responses scored numerically. Following data collection, a quantitative analysis will be conducted test to compare the mean scores of the two groups. This comparison aims to identify any significant differences between the groups based on their length of stay in the US. A qualitative interview will be conducted after the questionnaire has been administered to probe into their metalinguistic awareness of the participants with regard to how they approach answering English tag questions.
Preliminary results from a pilot study revealed that the length of studying or living in the United States does not help Chinese ESL learners in reducing their L1 influence on their L2 with respect to verbal responses to English tag questions.
This study does not only contribute to the near absence of comparative research on how Chinese L1 speakers respond to English tag questions in ESL contexts, but also sets a foundation for future research on verbal responses to English tag questions. In addition, this study highlights the importance how instructors and university staff working with international students need to be mindful of the use of tag questions in their communication, hence improving the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication.
1.Example of experimental questionnaire items:
Lucy and Mike have just completed their lunch and are feeling quite full.
Q: They are not hungry at all, are they?
a)Respond with "Yes, they are not..." without hesitation.
b)Initially answer with "Yes, they are not...", then later correct the response to "No, they are not..."
c)Contemplate for 3 seconds and reply with "No, they are not..."
d)Instantly respond with "No, they are not..." without hesitation
