Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the use and sequential position of onomatopoetic expressions in interactions in a formal setting in Japanese from a pragmatic-discursive approach by taking a closer look at their role as interactional tools.

Paper long abstract:

The usage of onomatopoetic expressions in colloquial speech, poetry and graphic novels has been explored extensively in various disciplines of Japanese linguistic. However, formal speech situations have traditionally received less attention due to the preconception that onomatopoeia only rarely occur in this speech register. This paper explores the use and sequential position of onomatopoetic expressions in interactions in a formal setting in Japanese from a pragmatic-discursive approach (Félix-Brasdefer, 2015), where social actions are viewed from both rationalist and discursive perspectives.

For this study, preparatory meetings between a TESOL lecturer and her student tutors were recorded at an academic institution in Japan and analysed using an adapted version of Conversation Analysis. In this formal setting, participants made use of a number of onomatopoetic expressions, kasane kotoba, as well as repetitions of words and phrases, whose occurrence could be linked to their sequential position. The identified expressions were predominantly found in sequences where a new topic was initiated by a participant, and more specifically, where a new topic which did not focus on the key points of the discussion was launched. The participants' actions in the sequences displayed a shift in the formality of the conversation - from a relatively formal conversation to an informal conversation. In addition, this study identified onomatopoetic expressions such as 'hyuu-hyuu' in the above sequences, which appeared to serve as a politeness strategy (Spencer-Oatey, 2008) to mitigate certain actions, in particular constructive criticism.

The aim of this paper is to highlight sequences in formal interactions in which onomatopoeia and similar expressions are used when modifying the speech register, as well as a strategic interactional tool for the mitigation of an action with a potential negative impact.