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Aizuchi are a universal phenomenon. "Yeah, uh-huh, exactly, I know right" serve the same function in English.

• psychomugs 5y ago
  Backchanneling is not exclusive to Japanese, but overuse in other languages can be perceived as rude and a sign of inattentiveness. You need to experience a casual Japanese conversation to realize how prevalent it is [1]. After my stint there, people noticed how much I backchannel even in my other languages. [1] https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language-in-society/article/abs/backchannels-across-cultures-a-study-of-americans-and-japanese1/B26AC3C44C237B9A380A5494EA5693ED https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language-in-society/... "The findings reveal that backchannels of several types are displayed far more frequently by Japanese listeners."