Knowledge Bank

Native speakers of Japanese often thank others for what they have previously done for them when they see benefactors again. This phenomenon is called re-thanking or saido no kansha (再度の感 謝). This seemingly innocuous expression of gratitude is not easy for Japanese language learners to perform. To explicate what is involved in re-thanking in Japanese, I will examine how rethanking is performed by native speakers of Japanese, how it poses a challenge for Japanese learners, and how re-thanking is not about merely using certain expressions of gratitude but about redressing "the debt-credit equilibrium." I will then discuss how re-thanking can be taught through the Performed Culture Approach (PCA), which aims to foster learners' skills to participate in the flow of social life through compilations of memories and stories.