Repair Sequences in American Learners of German Interlanguage

Abstract

This study in Conversation Analysis investigates the organization of other-initiated repair sequences in American learners of German, i.e., it examines how learners deal with troubles in hearing or understanding that they encounter in naturally-occurring talk-in-interaction. Data for the project were collected during informal interaction in three groups of American learners of German, two groups enrolled in German courses at an American university and one group participating in a study abroad program in Germany. The data from the 3 groups was analyzed in terms of (1) the types of troubles these learners encounter, (2) which repair initiation techniques they employ, and (3) how troubles are resolved. The results indicate that there is a systematic relationship between trouble sources, repair initiation strategies, and repair operation strategies that accounts for a large number of repair sequences in the data. Overall, the results indicate that these learners have access to a wide range of repair strategies; however, the organization of repair in these learners differs not only between groups, but also from that documented in native speakers in a number of ways.