Studies that compare speech-act realization across languages (including native speakers vs. learners) are many. However, in most cases, they look only at single sentences, not sequences in which those acts are produced. Also, they often fail to address the influence of instruction when discussing learners' performances.
This study examines request sequences produced by Japanese learners, and compares them with those produced by native speakers of Japanese. Then, it discusses selected links between the learners' performance and the instruction. Specifically, request sequences produced by native and non-native speakers of Japanese, prompted by six role-play tasks, were collected and analyzed. Participants reflected on their performances after accomplishing the tasks; these reflections were also collected.
Naturally occurring request sequences, separately collected at two settings, are consistent with some features of the role-play data, e.g. native speakers' frequent use of a variety of apologies and mitigating expressions in setting up requests.
Another result from the role-play data is that a majority of learners had difficulty in using direct style final predicates even when the task called for their use. Learners themselves indicated this difficulty in their reflections.
As a first step toward understanding this problem, an account of how the direct/distal style distinction is introduced and developed in the learning materials used in the students' courses is given. It was clear from this account that the materials provide ample examples of direct style in Japanese conversations, detailed grammatical and pragmatic explanations, in a systematic presentation.
It is a very complex process to train learners to be able to handle requests in ways that fit contextual particulars. Even with materials that provide sufficient models and information, learners still experience the difficulty. They need to accumulate the experience of decision making on what linguistic items to use, in what form, in what style, to whom, with what conversation topics and so on, until they reach the level of automaticity. Opportunities for such decision making should be increased, and the need to be on the lookout for more such opportunities has to be communicated to learners.