The studies of the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence show
that the type and amount of input is an important factor. Marriott’s subjects
were eight students who were aged 15 to 18 years. The speakers were
interviewed by native speakers before they left for Japan. They were also
interviewed on their return to Australia. All interviews were videotaped.
Native speakers judged the acceptability of the politeness patterns. The
speakers had maximum opportunity for exposure to Japanese, with lots of contact with native speakers. Marriott studied the use of native speaker
variation rules. Variation rules apply to the use of Standard and Common
Japanese, politeness styles, formality, written and spoken language and
code switching. Politeness styles involve addressee and reference honorifics
which communicate distance between speakers. The students’ ability
to manage variation rules was analysed in the pre- and post-exchange
interviews. Four variables were examined in the study: honorific style,
requesting behaviour, openings and closings and personal reference forms.
Before the stay in Japan, the students all used the polite honorific style,
and almost never used the plain form. After the exchange, all increased
their use of the plain style. However, the non-native use of styles was not
according to native speakers’ norms. Their mixing of plain and polite
forms was largely haphazard. Marriott concludes that they did not acquire
the ability to switch according to native norms. In relation to requesting
behaviour, all of the students managed to transmit adequately the request
and employed a range of polite patterns, even if grammatical deviations
occurred. In relation to personal reference forms, the students learned to
use a diverse range of third person reference forms for family referents.
However, the speakers after the stay in Japan showed a number of deviant
forms in politeness. The two beginners had successfully learned the rules
for the use of appropriate forms.