日韓接触場面における緩和表現の使用様相 － 発話機能との関連を中心に －

Abstract

The study focuses on expressions that soften the intensity of utterances, that is, “hedges”, and compares and analyzes the differences in the use of hedges in the contact situations between native Japanese speakers and non-native Japanese speakers (native Korean speakers) in associating with functions of utterance. The result shows that the appearance rate of hedges in the functions of utterance related to “providing” was the highest for both in the utterances of native Japanese speakers and in one of non-native Japanese speakers. It also shows that the difference in the appearance rate of hedges between them was large. Furthermore, the result of detailed analysis shows the difference in the appearance rate of hedges was largest in between the utterances of native Japanese speakers and one of non-native speakers in “providing opinions”. This suggests that native Japanese speakers might be offended by straightforward expressions when non-native Japanese speakers tell their own opinion to native Japanese speakers. In addition, only in the utterances concerning “confirmation of contents” that confirm the intention of utterances, the appearance rate of hedges was higher in the utterances of non-native Japanese speakers. It is presumed that non-native Japanese speakers try to establish mutual understanding by a soft manner of communication. By associating the use of hedges with functions of utterance, it has become possible to understand in what kind of utterances hedges are often used and what kind of utterances make a difference between native Japanese speakers and non-native Japanese speakers in the use of hedges.