COMPLETION REPORTA Study of Japanese and Indonesian Backchannel Behavior (contrastive analysis onlistener role in interaction)
Lisda Nurjaleka
Lecturer
Japanese Language Education Department
Faculty of Language and Art
Universitas Negeri Semarang
Title: A Study of Japanese and Indonesian Backchannel Behavior (Contrastive analysis on Listener Rolein Interaction)
Many studies on backchannel mainly focus only on verbal backchannel; in other words, a verbalized
backchannel. However, since human communication is generally face-to-face, people use not only verbal
but also nonverbal communication. These expressions are essential sources of information. Therefore, itis necessary to consider not only verbal backchannel but also non-verbal backchannel used as listenerresponses.
In this study, we set up an interview setting and had a first-time meeting conversation also formed by agroup of Japanese native speakers and Indonesian native speakers. This study's focus is to clarify the roleof listener response, specifically verbal backchannel and non-verbal backchannel. We compare thefrequency of occurrence, position, and timing in the conversation in both languages. To summarize, theresults are as follows:
Regarding the type of backchannel, the verbal of backchannel in both languages, from the data wesummarized in order that the most frequent use of the backchannel is "aizuchi-shi," "repetition,""paraphrasing" and the least use of backchannel type is "presumption". The non-verbal backchannel
results revealed that both the Japanese and Indonesian languages use frequent nodding as listenerresponses. Meanwhile, the Japanese also have more types of "aizuchi-shi" than the Indonesian language.
In the frequency of backchannel usage per minute, We conclude that Indonesian people often use
backchannel every minute, almost as often as Japanese people. However, the frequency of the use ofbackchannel behavior revealed that backchannels are most commonly used in Japanese conversation.
Besides, the results showed that Japanese people more likely to use verbal backchannel rather thannonverbal backchannel. In contrast, Indonesian people used more nonverbal nodding as a sign of thelistener's response.
Moreover, in the results of the function of the backchannel, it becomes clear that verbal backchannel andnonverbal backchannel of head movement in both languages have the same function. However, although
laughter and smile are categorized as nonverbal behavior, both languages seem to have different
functions.
Concerning the timing of the occurrences of Backchannel in the conversation, it was found that, inJapanese conversation and Indonesian conversation, both placing Backchannel mostly at the end of theutterance sentence. However, it also found that there are differences in the frequency of gender placementin Japanese. However, in the interviewer and the interviewee's perspective, the interviewer uses more
Backchannel at the end of the utterance. Meanwhile, in both Japanese and Indonesian conversations, theinterviewee's role seemed to use Backchannel in the middle of the utterances.
As a result, both Japanese and Indonesian have similar backchannel functions, the same form of theBackchannel, and the Backchannel placement in a conversation. However, regarding the Backchannel
frequency, the Japanese have a higher number of Backchannel than the Indonesian language.
In contrast to the Indonesian language, Japanese Backchannel varied in its backchannel expression type,and the frequency high. Therefore, it is clear that both Japanese and Indonesian considered activelisteners. In communication, they (listeners) actively send backchannels to show that they are listeningand participating in a conversation.

Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
CONAPLIN 13
The Thirteen Conference on Applied Linguistics
Conference days 7-8 October 2020, in Bandung Indonesia
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
Name of Journal: Psychology of Language and Communication (Sciendo)
Title: Non-verbal communication of backchannel behavior by Indonesian Speakers
Author: Lisda Nurjaleka
Submitted article date : June 11th 2020
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)