SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This study aims to illustrate portrayals of silence and solitude in the film Tokyo Story (1953) and to depict the ways human relationships and bonds evolve through characters’ silent dialogues. It also explores ways a study of silence such as this can help second language (L2) learners to raise their awareness of the facilitative use of silence in interaction by using film-mediated L2 learning material. Drawing on the intertwined concepts of silence and solitude understood as means of self and mutual reflection, and shared understanding through silent dialogue in the film, this study proposes the theoretical framework, Multimodal Social Interaction Analysis (MSIA) to explore the use of silence in Japanese contexts. Its analytical aspects include silent dialogues, gestures, and semiotic resources such as surrounding sounds, visual stillness, and cinematography as context-rich L2 learning material. This study suggests that diverse meanings of multifaceted uses of silence included attentive, empathetic, self-protective, shared, and truthful silence, with solitude experienced as inner dialogue underlying a character, Noriko’s stream of consciousness in her life-story. The present study seeks to widen perspectives on silence within interaction, which acts as an implicit but facilitative interactional tool, also suggesting implications for L2 pedagogy.