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An Analysis of BELF Small Talk: A First Encounter

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English as a Lingua Franca in Japan

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Abstract

While businesspeople recognise that skilful management of small talk is extremely important to establish and maintain a good working relationship, it is often difficult for them to have small talk, off their usual business topics. It is reported to be even more difficult when they meet for the first time. This chapter analyses small talk between two BELF (English as a business lingua franca) users, a Japanese architect and a Malaysian hotel employee, who meet for the first time. With a conversation analytic approach, the analysis reveals two features of the talk-in-interactions: (i) the way in which the interactants pay careful attention to the selection of topics and the flow of conversation in order to save face or to avoid disturbing territoriality of another party, and (ii) the way in which the interactants work collaboratively to make their communication successful by using a variety of communication strategies.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Murata (1995) analyses the use of repetition, examining three types of interactions: NSE-NSE (native speakers of British English), NSJ-NSJ (native speakers of Japanese), and NSE-JSE (Japanese speakers of English).

  2. 2.

    According to Widdowson (1983), co-operative imperative and territorial imperative are potentially opposing forces to mediate between different schemata of the interlocutors. While the former provides for the need for social interaction, the latter provides for individual security (p. 50).

  3. 3.

    All names of the participants in this study are pseudonymised for the protection of personal information provided for the research.

  4. 4.

    The discourse particle ‘lah’, which is frequently used in Malaysian English to make questions when there is no subject inversion employed (Azirah, 2007, p. 42). It also functions as a softener that conveys emotive or affective attitudes of the speaker, which can increase informality, familiarity, solidarity, and rapport (Azirah, 2007, pp. 37–38).

  5. 5.

    If Sato is working hard every day, including weekends, it likely means that the construction project is behind the schedule.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English Language, Daito Bunka University, Tokyo, Japan

    Akiko Otsu

Authors
  1. Akiko Otsu
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Correspondence to Akiko Otsu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba, Japan

    Mayu Konakahara

  2. International College of Arts and Sciences, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

    Keiko Tsuchiya

Appendix

Appendix

The transcription notations used in this chapter are as follows:

 

The point of overlap onset

=

latching

(0.7)

an interval between utterances

(.)

a very short untimed pause

uh:::

lengthening of the preceding sound

?

a rising intonation

.

a falling intonation

,

a slightly rising intonation

Word

underlining indicates speaker emphasis

CAPITALS

especially loud sounds relative to the other talk

°°

utterances between degree signs are quieter than the other talk

(words)

single brackets enclose uncertain but probable transcription

xxxxxx

unintelligible speech

((actions))

double brackets enclose non-verbal actions

→　

arrows in the left margin features of special interest

> <

utterances spoken faster than surrounding talk

< >

utterances spoken slower than surrounding talk

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Otsu, A. (2020). An Analysis of BELF Small Talk: A First Encounter. In: Konakahara, M., Tsuchiya, K. (eds) English as a Lingua Franca in Japan. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33288-4_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33288-4_10

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-33288-4

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