Probing Socio-Pragmatic Skills of L2 Learners of Indonesian on Japanese Politeness

Rina Supriatnaningsih (Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Lisda Nurjaleka (Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Silvia Nurhayati (Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Damai Yani (Universitas Negeri Padang)
Yulia Windarti (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Japan)

REGISTER JOURNAL
Vol. 17 No. 1 (2024): REGISTER JOURNAL

This study explores how learners of Japanese as a foreign language in Indonesia comprehend and use Japanese politeness. Many linguists mentioned that socio-pragmatic skills can be developed in a classroom. This skill is essential for L2 learners to master communication in L2, such as how to build and express turn-taking, eye contact and give attention to the interlocutors. Therefore, this study aims to prove whether Indonesian learners of Japanese could use appropriate socio-pragmatic skills, focusing on Japanese politeness in a conversation setting. The subjects are 120 students from two universities whose level of Japanese skills is on the A2-B1 CERF level. We use the role-play method and set a one-on-one conversation/interview setting. Our findings demonstrate that most Indonesian students had difficulty comprehending the concept of ‘Tachiba’, meaning the place where one stands in a Japanese conversation. Most student participants could not yet grasp the social and interaction level. However, in some cases, Japanese politeness in context meaning is found.