An Examination of the Profi ciency of Chinese Japanese learners in Using Filler Words

Abstract

In this study, the use of the fi ller words by Chinese learners of Japanese was quantitatively compared with the actual conversation of Japanese learners. A quantitative comparative analysis of the use of the fi ller words “anou”, “eeto”, “maa” and“nannka” was conducted. The results showed that, fi rstly, In terms of the frequency of use of each fi ller word, the frequency of use and the type of use showed diff erent trends as learners’ profi ciency increased. Advanced Japanese learners used “anou” and “maa” signifi cantly more frequently than intermediate Japanese learners.Second, the frequency of each usage of fi ller words increased with the learners’ profi ciency, and the frequency and types of usage also showed diff erent tendencies. Third, although the frequency of use increased with profi ciency, the learners did not grasp the multifunctional nature of fi ller words in terms of their use of conversation functions. Thus, teachers should strengthen the guidance of fi ller words in current Japanese language teaching.