The Use of Repair in Dyadic ELF Intercultural Communication

This research aims to examine the repair types used by Chinese and Thai English users in dyadic intercultural communication using English as a lingua franca (ELF). Moreover, it seeks to investigate the purposes of the repair used by Chinese and Thai English users in dyadic ELF intercultural communication. In total, fifty English users participated in this research, including twenty-five Chinese and twenty-five Thai English users. Daily dyadic ELF conversations were collected. The research mainly used conversation analysis as the qualitative method for analysis. In addition, a quantitative method was used for a discrete analysis. The results showed that four repair types and initial avoidance of repair were used, with other-initiation self-repairs most common. The research found that both Chinese and Thai English users focused on mutual understanding while using repairs. The purpose of the mutual understanding was for the progressivity of the conversations. Moreover, social epistemics was concerned with both Chinese and Thai English users. Lastly, the use of repairs and initial avoidance of repairs was also for politeness in ELF intercultural communication. The findings of this research expand the study of repair to ELF intercultural communication, where the interactants’ first languages (L1s) were not English.