Development of interactional competence in l2 Korean : the use of Korean interpersonal modal endings--canh-and--ketun

Abstract

This study investigates the ways in which Korean interpersonal modal endings--canh-and--ketun are used and developed as interactional resources by L2 speakers. Using the methodology of conversation analysis, this study not only examines how speakers employ--canh-and--ketun in the formation of an action, but also compares the (non) use of these endings by L2 speakers at different proficiency levels. By taking this combined approach to the use and the development of grammatical resources by L2 speakers, this dissertation aims to (1) investigate the ways in which L2 speakers use--canh-and--ketun to accomplish certain social actions, such as giving accounts or disagreeing, by displaying relevant knowledge states and (2) illustrate the stages of L2 speakers' development that correlate to interactional competence in the use of these linguistic resources. The data of the current study comes from approximately 240 hours of video-recorded classroom interactions in a Korean as a second language context. Focusing on three different sequential environments recurrently associated with opportunities to use--canh-and--ketun to accomplish particular actions, this study presents detailed descriptions of how participants' use and nonuse of these forms work as resources for dealing with varied epistemic access to proposed information in talk-in-interaction. By adopting a cross-sectional design for comparison, this study also shows developmental patterns in the use of--canh-and--ketun by L2 speakers of Korean. Close scrutiny of the use and nonuse of these resources reveals whether and to what extent their interactional use by L2 speakers of different proficiency levels approaches that of L1 speakers. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of Korean interpersonal modal endings in terms of the management and distribution of information as expressed through speakers' actions. This study also contributes to the growing body of research that takes a CA approach to the development of interactional competence by L2 speakers. It is hoped that this study both yields insights into how language use can be fully understood by adding the factors of management of information, and promotes CA approach to research on Korean L2 interaction.