Dion Wildan Praditya (0713042024) Negotiation of Meaning

SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

NEGOTIATION OF MEANING PAPER

By
Name : Dion Wildan Praditya
SRN : 0713042024
Subject : Second Language Acquisition

ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

ARTS AND LANGUAGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND PEDAGOGY

THE UNIVERSITY OF LAMPUNG

2010

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Littlewood's highly influential 1981 volume on communicative language teaching will be taken here to represent this mainstream viewpoint. In 1981 Littlewood advocated a progression from 'pre-communicative' to 'communicative' activities involving various forms of interactive language practice. His underlying view of the psychology of language learning was that systematic language practice is crucial, as it was in the otherwise discredited behaviorist model of learning. But he also believed that practice should progressively emphasize relevance over repetition. That is to say, that practice activities should progressively come closer and closer and closer to imitating 'real-life' language use (a feature also found, it might be noted, if in a less developed form, in the work of such 'behaviorist' writers as Lado (1964)). The general notion of 'negotiation' (loosely defined as 'discussion to reach agreement') will be involved, therefore, only if 'negotiation' is itself seen as a type of 'real-life' language use that is relevant to the learning purposes of the learners.


Interaction plays an important role in the development of second language learning. The interaction, particularly that which involves native speakers provides opportunities for nonnative speaker to gain comprehensible input.


Interaction is very important in acquiring a language, because without interaction someone would never acquire a language. Long (1981, 1982) said that comprehensible input is not enough for language acquisition. Learners need to interact with native speaker. Long’s study found that the native speaker talk to nonnative speaker contained a limited number of input modifications but extensive interactional adjustment.


Negotiation of meaning is defined as a series of exchanges conducted by addressors and addressees to help themselves understand and be understood by their interlocutors. We can see, when native speakers (NS) and non native speakers (NNS) are involved in an interaction, both interact ants work together to solve any potential misunderstanding or non understanding that occurs.


In order to solve their misunderstanding or non understanding that occurs, we can solve them by checking each others’ comprehensions, requesting clarifications and confirmation and by repairing and adjusting speech (Pica, 1988). Pica et al (1989) also suggest that negotiation of meaning basically consist of four interrelated moves. They are trigger:


• Trigger (T): utterances followed by native speaker (NS) signal of total/partial lack of understanding.


• Signal (S): of total or partial lack of understanding. There are many types of signal. They are:
a. Explicit statement or request for clarification
b. Request for confirmation through repetition of the nonnative speaker (NNS)
c. Request for confirmation through modification of the NNS
d. Request for confirmation through completion or elaboration of the NNS


• Response (R): there are two responses, i.e.
1. NNS Response:
a. Switch to the topic
b. Suppliance of information relevant to the topic, but not directly responsive to NS signal
c. Repetition of the NS modification of trigger
d. Self modification of trigger
e. Repetition of NNS trigger
f. Confirmation of signal only
g. Indication of difficulty or inability to respond
2. Response to NNS:
a. Comprehension signal
b. Continuation move


• Follow up (FU): indication of understanding that is the purpose of the writer to find out how many those interrelated moves are used during a conversation of negotiation of meaning. There will be three conversations of negotiation of meaning whose the duration of each of them is five minutes.

CHAPTER II

FRAME OF THEORIES

Negotiation of meaning is defined as a series of exchanges conducted by addressors and addressees to help themselves understand and be understood by their interlocutors. In this case, when native speakers (NSs) and non native speakers (NNSs) are involved in an interaction, both interactants work together to solve any potential misunderstanding or non understanding that occurs, by checking each others’ comprehension, requesting clarification and confirmation and by repairing and adjusting speech (Pica, 1988).


Varonis and Gass (1985) proposed a simpler model for the exchanges that create negotiation of meaning. The model consists of four primes called:
a. Trigger (T) which invokes or stimulates incomplete understanding on the part of the hearer,
b. Indicator (I), which is the hearers’ signal of incomplete understanding,
c. Response (R) is the original speaker’s attempt to clear up the unaccepted-input,
d. Reaction to the response (RR), which is an element that signals either the hearer’s acceptance or continued difficulty with the speaker’s repair.


The two model by Pica and Doughty (1985) and Gass and Varonis (1985) have stimulated some researchers to investigate the relationship between communication tasks and the patterns of interaction which have resulted from the activities. The two models also suggest that in an interactional modification or negotiation, there are at least two different moves: the move of signals and the move of reaction to the signal (repair or modification). Pica et al (1989) suggest that negotiations of meaning basically consist of four interrelated moves. The moves are trigger, signal, response, and follow-up moves.


There are five communicative tasks which can be used by the teacher in many different ways to promote negotiation:
a. Jigsaw task
b. Information gap task
c. Problem solving task
d. Decision making task
e. Information exchange task

CHAPTER III

TRANSCRIBE, CODING AND QUANTIFY OF CONVERSATION

This chapter contains the transcript of the interactions of native speaker and non native speaker which have been recorded by the writer.


Script 1
Situation: This conversation was done by Female 1 (F1) and Female 2 (F2). F1 and F2 are classmates. F1 will come to F2’s home on Sunday to do their English homework together. But F1 has not known F2’s address so that F1 asks the direction of F2’s home.
5: 09 minutes/512 words (106 words/ minute)


F1 : Hi, I’ll come to your home on Sunday but I don’t know your home, so can you tell me the way to go to your home?
F2 : Oh … it’s just simple. You know my home is in Banjarsari, right?
F1 : Yes.
F2 : Do you know the traditional market of Banjarsari? (T)
F1 : Sorry? (S)
F2 : Traditional market … there’s a market in Banjarsari. You know? (R)
F1 : Er… market? (S)
F2 : Yes, traditional market. It’s a place of people buying or selling something. (R)
F1 : Oh … I see. Yes, I know the place. (F)
F2 : Then, you go ahead until you find T-intersection, and then …. (T)
F1 : What? (S)
F2 : T-intersection … (R)
F1 : What is that? (S)
F2 : It is three – way intersection. (R)
F1 : Three – way intersection? So there’re three ways? (S)
F2 : Yes, there are three ways, left, right, and ahead. (R)
F1 : Oh… Alright, I understand, and then? (F)
F2 : Then, you turn right.
F1 : Ok, what next?
F2 : Next, you go to Pattimura Street and you’ll find a big tree in the right road. (T)
F1 : Load? (S)
F2 : No, no, no … I mean road. (R)
F1 : What?(S)
F2 : Road … road means street. (R)
F1 : Uh … so, the tree is in the right street? (F)
F2 : Yes. You’re right. My home is the second house after the tree.
F1 : So, your home in the right street too?
F2 : Yes, my home is in line with the tree.
F1 : And it is the second after the three – way intersection.
F2 : No, it’s not like that. After the T-intersection, you should go ahead about a meter, and then you’ll find a big tree.(T)
F1 : You mean it is a big three ways?(S)
F2 : No, it is a big tree. There’s a big tree, it is a plant not ways or number. (R)
F1 : Uh… tree … the plant? (F)
F2 : Yes, understand?
F1 : Yes, yes, I understand. What next?
F2 : Next, you count the numbers of houses after the big tree. My house is the second after the tree.
F1 : So, I should count until two?
F2 : Yes, you’re right.
F1 : And what the paint of your house? (T)
F2 : The what?(S)
F1 : The paint of your house? I mean its wall paint? (R)
F2 : The paint of my house wall? (S)
F1 : Yes, is it red, white, or what? (R)
F2 : Uh … do you mean its color? (S)
F1 : Yes, the color … what is the color? (R)
F2 : My house is in cream color. (F)
F1 : Well, I see …
F2 : So, can you imagine my house location?
F1 : Yes, I’ll come to your house this Sunday.
F2 : Ok, I’ll wait for you. Don’t forget to bring your English homework book. See you on Sunday.
F1 : Ok. See you too.


Script 2
Situation: This conversation was done by Male 1 (M1) and Male 2 (M2). M1 and M2 are best friends. M2 needs to meet M1 on Saturday Evening. M1 has booked a room in a Mama Café but M2 has not known the location of the café. So, M2 asks the direction to reach the Mama Café.
5: 04 minutes/510 words (102 words/ minute)


M2 : Hi, I want to tell you something but I can’t tell you right now. How about having a time on Saturday evening but it’s better to meet you outside? What do you think?
M1 : Ok, I can meet you at the time. I think we can meet at Mama Café.
M2 : Where is it?
M1 : Don’t you know the place?
M2 : I don’t know, but the place sounds good.
M1 : Of course, the place is such kind of Youth Camp.
M2 : So, how can I get there?
M1 : You’ll go there by your motorcycle, right?
M2 : Yes.
M1 : Do you know rhino statue? (T)
M2 : Sorry? (S)
M1 : Statue. There’s a rhino statue when you coming to the downtown. (R)
M2 : Umm… statue? (S)
M1 : Yes, statue. A big stone shaped as a rhino. It is in the left side of the street. (R)
M1 : Oh, I see. Then? (F)
M2 : And then you turn right. Just go ahead about a half kilometer. Then, you’ll find a traffic light. (T)
M1 : What? (S)
M2 : Traffic light. (R)
M1 : Traffic light? (S)
M2 : Yes, there’s a traffic light. (R)
M1 : Well, I see. (F)
M2 : Next you turn left about three hundred meters. There’s an intersection. (T)
M1 : Sorry? (S)
M2 : An intersection. (R)
M1 : Ummm…… (S)
M2 : It is same as crossroad. (R)
M1 : Oh … ok. (F)
M2 : Do you understand?
M1 : Yes, I get the point. Go on?
M2 : After you find the crossroad, you should turn right. Next, you’ll see the town park.
M1 : Ok.
M2 : Then, you go ahead and you’ll find ring road. (T)
M1 : Ring road? (S)
M2 : Yes. (R)
M1 : So there’s a circle in the middle of the road? (S)
M2 : Yes, exactly. Then, you should turn left. (R)
M1 : Ok. What should I do next? (F)
M2 : Next, you go ahead about five hundred meters. Then, you turn left and you’ll see music studio in the right road. The Mama Café is beside the music studio. Do you get my point?
M1 : Well, I see. But, I still confuse. The café is in the left or right of the music studio?
M2 : Uh… sorry, I forget to tell you. The café is in the left side of the music studio. So it is previous to the music studio.
M1 : Ok. I’ll meet you there on Saturday evening.
M2 : I’ll wait for you there. See you.
M1 : See you too.


Script 3
Situation: This conversation was done by Male (M) and Female (F). They are friends. The female shows her new English book to the male. Then, the male wants to buy it too. But he hasn’t known the bookstore in which the female bought the book. So, the female tells the location of the bookstore.
10: 59 minutes (Cut until 7: 00 minutes)/896 words (128 words/ minute)


M : Hi, have you got the English book?
F : Of course, here it is.
M : Wow, how do you get it?
F : It’s of course I bought it. I didn’t steal it!
M : Yes, I know that but I mean where did you buy it? As we know, it’s difficult to get this book because not all of bookstores have it, right?
F : Yes, and fortunately I can get it.
M : So, can you tell me what the bookstore that has this book?
F : It is Fajar Bookstore.
M : Where is it? I never heard about the bookstore before.
F : Not surprise, because the bookstore location is far away from the shopping centre.
M : So, where is it?
F : Do you know Imam Bonjol Street?
M : Yes.
F : Just through the street about a half kilometer and then you’ll find irrigation. (T)
M : Sorry? (S)
F : Irrigation. There’s irrigation along the street. (R)
M : Irrigation? (S)
F : Yes. There’s a bridge across the irrigation. (R)
M : So, I should cross the bridge? (S)
F : Of course yes. (R)
M : Alright. Then? (F)
F : Next, just go ahead and you’ll find T-intersection. (T)
M : Mmm… T-intersection? After the irrigation? (S)
F : Yes, you’re right. Then, you should turn right. Go ahead until you find a traffic light. (R)
M : Ok. How far is it from the T-intersection? (F)
F : It’s about four hundred meters.
M : Well, what next?
F : Next, you should turn left and find foul corner. (T)
M : Sorry? (S)
F : A foul corner. (R)
M : Mmm...... (S)
F : A foul corner. The place where you fill the foul of your motorcycle, you’ll go there by motorcycle, right? (R)
M : Yes, I’ll go by my motorcycle. Oh… do you mean fuel corner? It is for vehicle’s fuel? (S)
F : Yes, I mean that. (R)
M : Ok. I see. And then? What should I do after seeing the fuel corner? (F)
F : The bookstore is a fifty meter after the fuel corner.
M : So it is in line with the fuel corner?
F : Yes, exactly.
M : Ok, I think I know the place. I’ll go there this evening. Does it open till night?
F : Actually not really night, only until 8 p.m.
M : Ok, I’ll get there at 4 p.m. Thank you very much for your information.
F : That’s ok. You’re welcome.

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS OF CONVERSATION

Script 1
a. Length of Utterances: 5: 09 minutes/512 words = (106 words/ minute)
b. Negotiation of Meaning Sequences


From the first conversation there are five sequences of negotiation of meaning by explanation as below:


• The first sequence
F2 : Do you know the traditional market of Banjarsari? (T)
F1 : Sorry? (S)
(It is signal of clarification request to the trigger)
F2 : Traditional market … there’s a market in Banjarsari. You know? (R)
(It is response of repetition of the trigger)
F1 : Er… market? (S)
(It is signal of repetition of the F2’s respond)
F2 : Yes, traditional market. It’s a place of people buying or selling something. (R) (It is response of elaboration clause/comprehension signal)
F1 : Oh … I see. Yes, I know the place. (F)


• The second sequence
F2 : Then, you go ahead until you find T-intersection, and then …. (T)
F1 : What? (S) (It is signal of clarification request to the trigger)
F2 : T-intersection … (R) (It is response of repetition of the trigger)
F1 : What is that? (S) (It is signal of clarification request to the trigger)
F2 : It is three – way intersection. (R) (It is response of comprehension signal)
F1 : Three – way intersection? So there’re three ways? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification through repetition and additional information)
F2 : Yes, there are three ways, left, right, and ahead. (R)
(It is response of comprehension signal through additional information)
F1 : Oh… Alright, I understand, and then? (F)


• The third sequence
F2 : Next, you go to Pattimura Street and you’ll find a big tree in the right road. (T)
F1 : Load? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
F2 : No, no, no … I mean road. (R)
(It is response of repetition of the trigger)
F1 : What? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
F2 : Road … road means street. (R)
(It is response of self modification trigger through giving synonym)
F1 : Uh … so, the tree is in the right street? (F)


• The fourth sequence
F2 : No, it’s not like that. After the T-intersection, you should go ahead about a meter, and then you’ll find a big tree. (T)
F1 : You mean it is a big three ways? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through modification)
F2 : No, it is a big tree. There’s a big tree, it is a plant not ways or number. (R)
(It is response of self modification through embedding and elaboration in clause)
F1 : Uh… tree … the plant? (F)


• The fifth sequence
F1 : And what the paint of your house? (T)
F2 : The what? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
F1 : The paint of your house? I mean its wall paint? (R)
(It is response of repetition of the trigger)
F2 : The paint of my house wall? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through repetition of the trigger)
F1 : Yes, is it red, white, or what? (R)
(It is response of suppliance of information relevant to the topic)
F2 : Uh … do you mean its color? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through modification)
F1 : Yes, the color … what is the color? (R)
(It is response of confirmation of the signal only)
F2 : My house is in cream color. (F)
Script 2
a. Length of Utterances: 5: 04 minutes/510 words (102 words/ minute)
b. Negotiation of Meaning Sequences


From the second conversation, there are four sequences of negotiation of meaning. The explanation is as below:


• The first sequence
M1 : Do you know rhino statue? (T)
M2 : Sorry? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
M1 : Statue. There’s an rhino statue when you coming to the downtown (R) (It is response of repetition the trigger)
M2 : Umm… statue? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
M1 : Yes, statue. A big stone shaped as a rhino. It is in the left side of the street. (R)
(It is response of self modification of trigger through embedding and elaboration in clause)
M1 : Oh, I see. Then? (F)


• The second sequence
M2 : And then you turn left. Just go ahead about a half kilometer. Then, you’ll find traffic light. (T)
M1 : What? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
M2 : Traffic light. (R)
(It is response of repetition of the trigger)
M1 : Traffic light? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through repetition of the trigger)
M2 : Yes, there’s a traffic light. (R)
(It is response of repetition of the trigger)
M1 : Well, I see. (F)


• The third sequence
M2 : Next you turn right about three hundred meters. There’s an intersection. (T)
M1 : Sorry? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
M2 : An intersection. (R)
(It is response of repetition of the trigger)
M1 : Ummm…… (S)
(It is signal of inability to understand the trigger)
M2 : It is same as crossroad. (R)
(It is response of self modification through giving the synonym)
M1 : Oh … ok. (F)


• The fourth sequence
M2 : Then, you go ahead and you’ll find ring road. (T)
M1 : Ring road? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through repetition of the trigger)
M2 : Yes. (R)
(It is response of acknowledgement of signal only)
M1 : So there’s a circle in the middle of the road? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through elaboration of the trigger)
M2 : Yes, exactly. Then, you should turn left. (R)
(It is response of acknowledgement of signal only)
M1 : Ok. What should I do next? (F)


Script 3
a. Length of Utterances: 10: 59 minutes (Cut until 7: 00 minutes)/896 words (128 words/ minute)
b. Negotiation of Meaning Sequences


From the third conversation, there are three sequences. The explanation is as below:


• The first sequence
F : Just through the street about a half kilometer and then you’ll find irrigation. (T)
M : Sorry? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
F : Irrigation. There’s irrigation along the street. (R)
(It is response of repetition of the trigger)
M : Irrigation? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through repetition of the trigger)
F : Yes. There’s a bridge across the irrigation. (R)
(It is response of self modification of the trigger through elaboration in clause)
M : So, I should cross the bridge? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through modification)
F : Of course yes. (R)
(It is response of acknowledgement of signal only)
M : Alright. Then? (F)


• The second sequence
F : Next, just go ahead and you’ll find T-intersection. (T)
M : Mmm… T-intersection? After the irrigation? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through repetition the trigger)
F : Yes, you’re right. Then, you should turn right. Go ahead until you find a traffic light. (R)
(It is response of suppliance of information relevant to the topic)
M : Ok. How far is it from the T-intersection? (F)


• The third sequence
F : Next, you should turn right and find foul corner. (T)
M : Sorry? (S)
(It is signal of request for clarification)
F : A foul corner. (R)
(It is response of repetition of the trigger)
M : Mmm...... (S)
(It is signal of inability to understand the trigger)
F : A foul corner. The place where you fill the foul of your motorcycle, you’ll go there by motorcycle, right? (R)
(It is response of suppliance of information relevant to the topic)
M : Yes, I’ll go by my motorcycle. Oh… do you mean fuel corner? It is for vehicle’s fuel? (S)
(It is signal of request for confirmation through elaboration)
F : Yes, I mean that. (R)
(It is response of acknowledgement of signal only)
M : Ok. I see. And then? What should I do after seeing the fuel corner? (F)

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

From the conversation and analysis below, the writer can conclude that length of time and sequences for each conversation may vary depends on the interactants. Then the components of each conversation also can be different between those who did the conversation whether they are male-male, female-female or female-male. But for those three conversations have the same components, they are Trigger, Signal, Respond and Follow Up.


There is negotiation of meaning in a conversation by the topic of showing direction. From the sequence of the negotiation of meaning, it can be seen that signal and response have the same numbers and dominated the conversation. The signal that most occurred is signal of request for clarification and the response that most occurred is response of repetition of the trigger. Trigger given by a speaker made the signal by another speaker in a conversation. Then, the response occurred. The signal and response from both the speakers result the follow up and making the understanding between them.