The Use of Private Speech by Beginner-Level Learners of Japanese

Abstract

　In this paper, I examined the use of private speech in the classroom by beginner-level learners of Japanese. The functions of private speech were classified into seven categories: vicarious response, manipulation of target language, mediation of thought, selective attention, monitoring, commenting, and wordplay, but for some instances of private speech, the functions could not be identified. The characteristics of classroom activities that increase the occurrence of private speech are: higher linguistic difficulty, the need for reading or writing, the need for understanding and production for all learners, and the fact that the classroom is not too quiet. The use of private speech differed among learners. One learner rarely used private speech, another used private speech for hypothesis testing and analysis, another used private speech for metacognition and to reduce psychological burden, and another used private speech for fun. By using private speech, learners create their own learning space tailored to their needs. In addition, the way in which private speech appears and the language used revealed the continuity between private speech and social speech.