Answer Strategies To Yes-no Questions In Preference Organization Of L1 And L2 Speakers

This study focuses on answering strategies used by L1 and L2 speakers to respond yes-no questions in the institutional setting of television news interview programs. Samples are collected from Newsroom program for L1 Chinese speakers, Larry King Live program for L1 English speakers and Dialogue program for L2 English speakers. The research is conducted within Pomerantz'agreeing and disagreeing organization framework to look at various answering strategies used when agreeing, disagreeing and unstated answers are provided. This research attempts to find what strategies are used when L1 and L2 speakers are asked to respond yes-no questions during the broadcast interview and what the similarities in the three sets of samples are. Attempts are also made to find recursive patterns in the overall organization of answers to this type of questions. Samples are mainly based on quantitative analysis to present comparisons between L1 and L2 speakers. L1 and L2 speakers employ similar strategies when making agreeing, disagreeing and unstated answers. Basic patterns of organization of answers to yes-no questions are found in three categories: unification, mixture and unstated. Unification is used when upgraded agreeing answers and strong disagreeing answers are uttered. This type of organization occupies the whole turn shape but is less frequently used by L1 and L2 speakers. Mixture is the most frequent organization of three types of answers among L1 and L2 speakers. It is used when weak agreeing and disagreeing answers are produced. Also the mixture organization includes answering strategies and techniques used in a combination to. Unstated pattern of answers is the third pattern exclusively for unstated answers when receipts fulfill the task from yes-no questions. Contributions of answers to the overall topic development are discussed for three types of directions are noticed to influence conversation management. They are upward involvement, downward involvement and forward involvement of answers. Answers from L1 Chinese speakers and L2 English speakers are more focused on upward involvement to complete the task from yes-no questions compared with L1 English speakers.