Western cultures do the same thing though, they give nods and other visual cues, go "uh huh", and if they've had a course in active listening, they'll go "I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!". (I have a friend who had a colleague who'd do that. Very annoying but it gets the point across).
I also use "right" and "ok" sometimes, with the right inflection it can signal continued interest, though you have to be careful not to sound impatient.
Another technique I find effective in active listening is to periodically rephrase/summarize/"ask for clarification" on the last minute or two. (The last one even when I fully understand the subject.)
