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Person reference and recognition in shift handovers: An analysis of interactions between Japanese and international care workers

  • Junko Mori EMAIL logo and Chiharu Shima
Published/Copyright: February 22, 2020

Abstract

The current study examines how Japanese and international care workers at a geriatric healthcare facility in Japan manage one of the most fundamental elements of handover interactions – person reference and recognition to identify a particular care receiver and discuss their specific conditions and needs. By using Conversation analysis (CA) as a central mode of inquiry, this study examines how the participants approach the establishment of referential common ground while simultaneously attending to the progressivity of ongoing activity, and how written records on care receivers are incorporated into the process. The juxtaposition of three international care workers’ performances effectively illustrates how the international care workers’ performative competence is co-constructed with their Japanese colleagues in this interactive process and how the participants exhibit different kinds of orientations towards the activity arranged for the dual purpose of actual handover and for the international care workers’ language learning and socialization. As a contribution to a growing body of CA studies of second language talk at work, this study considers possible tensions between engaging in a language-learning activity regarding specific linguistic elements during a particular professional activity and learning to become a competent actor in the particular activity.

Appendix: transcription conventions and abbreviations

[

The point where over lapping talk starts

]

The point where over lapping talk ends

(0.0)

Length of silence in tenths of a second

(.)

Micro-pause less than 2/10 of a second

underlining

Relatively high pitch

::

Lengthened syllable

Cut-off; self-interruption

=

‘Latched’ utterances of the two speakers or continuation of the same speaker’s talk transcribed on non-adjacent lines

?/./,

Rising/falling/continuing intonation, respectively

!

Animated and emphatic tone

( )

Transcriber’s inability to hear what was said

(word)

Dubious hearing

((word))

Transcriber’s notes

.hh

Audible inbreath

° °

A passage of talk quieter than the surrounding talk

°° °°

A passage of talk significantly quieter than the surrounding talk

> <

A passage of talk faster than the surrounding talk

COP

Various forms of copula verb

FM

Family name

FP

Final particle

GV

Given name

HON

Honorific suffix

LK

Nominal linking particle

NOM

Nominalizer

O

Object particle

PST

Past tense

Q

Question particle

QT

Quotative particle

S

Subject particle

TP

Topic particle

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Published Online: 2020-02-22
Published in Print: 2021-01-27

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