A Conversation Analysis of Self-repair in Asian Englishes

Abstract

The speakers of Asian Englishes in this study engage in self-repair when no corrections need to be made. The most common repair the interactants utilize is predominantly self-initiated self-completed repair. In addition, they employ their own characteristic signature phrase and each interlocutor’s respective signature phrase serves multiple functions at different times in their discourse, for example, as a repair initiator, a delaying device, or a pause filler. One salient and recurring feature in the utterances of the speakers of Asian Englishes in this study is self-repair with a hint of their native language background and mutual cultural knowledge. Obviously noticeable deviations in the areas of lexis, phonology, and morpho-syntax do not lead to repair or miscommunication. Despite the distinct “non-nativeness” of their utterances, the speakers of Asian Englishes in this study perform successful interaction, and no impediment to communication occurs.