Navigating claims of insufficient knowledge in one-on-one Chinese tutoring

This study examines the occurrence of claims of insufficient knowledge in one-on-one college-level Chinese tutoring sessions, drawing on 12 hours of videotaped data. Using conversation analysis, it examines the progression of these claims, the multimodal resources employed, and tutors’ responses. Two sequential patterns emerge: (1) claims during vocabulary checks and (2) claims following knowledge-sharing questions. In both patterns, tutees occasionally express direct claims. However, they more often engage in reflective processes, accompanied by embodied displays, before articulating a claim of insufficient knowledge. In the second pattern, they sometimes specify inaccessible aspects, leading to partial claims. Tutors act as facilitators, providing timely support to bridge knowledge gaps and maintain engagement. This study enhances understanding of epistemics, multimodal resources, and participation, shedding light on a specialized yet understudied aspect of teacher-student interaction in Chinese as a Second Language learning.

本研究探討一對一大學華語輔導課程中，學生提出知識不足聲明（claims of insufficient knowledge, CIK）的互動序列情境。基於12小時的錄影資料，研究採用會話分析（conversation analysis, CA）方法，本文深入分析學習者如何展現知識不足的行動，以及輔導老師如何回應這些聲明，同時關注互動中師生運用的多模態資源。本文揭示兩類典型的互動情境：（1）學習者在詞彙確認過程中提出的知識不足聲明，以及（2）學習者在知識分享型問題後的知識不足聲明。結果顯示，學習者有時會直接以搖頭或「我不知道」來表達，但更多時候他們會展示反思過程，伴隨具體的身體動作，最終以知識不足作為總結性表達。此外，在分享型問題情境中，學習者會聲明部分不知，並說明他們所欠缺的資訊面向。在這些互動中，輔導老師持續扮演協助者角色，通過及時支援填補知識差距，維持學習者的互動參與。這項研究深入探討了知識情態、多模態資源和參與機制，突顯它們在形塑一對一華語輔導互動中的作用。