Collaboration Created Through Overlaps: A Study of Japanese Interactions of Different Genres and Levels of Intimacy

Abstract

This paper focuses on overlaps in interactions between Japanese speakers. Data from eleven ‘intimate’ dyads (pairs of female university students who know each other well) and eleven ‘distant’ dyads (pairs of one female university teacher and one female student meeting for the first time) for both free conversation and task-oriented interaction, was analyzed. The results showed that for both groups there were more overlaps per turn in free conversation than in task interaction. However, overlaps with backchannels were observed more frequently in conversation, while overlaps without backchannels and overlaps involving the same expressions were observed more frequently in tasks. Overlaps appeared to help the progress of free conversation, while helping to clarify and express commonality in tasks. The results indicated atmosphere-based collaboration as a product of overlapping in free conversation, and content-based collaboration as a product of task interaction. In both situations, overlaps in student dyads (‘intimate’) reflected a sense of intimacy and empathy, while overlaps in teacher/student dyads reflected a sense of distance or silence. These results clarify that participants are conscious of collaboration according to genre and level of intimacy.