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Volume 17, Issue 1
  • ISSN 1877-7031
  • E-ISSN: 1877-8798
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Abstract

Abstract

Adopting the framework of interactional linguistics and employing the methodology of conversation analysis, this study investigates the discourse-interactional functions of the causal conjunction (“because”) in naturally occurring Mandarin conversation. Moving beyond its conventional use as a marker of reason or cause, the analysis reveals two prominent interactional functions of in everyday talk: (1) continuing a pre-prior course of action to advance the speaker’s interactional agenda, and (2) reopening a previously completed telling to pursue affiliative or responsive uptake from the hearer. These findings demonstrate that functions not only as a semantic connector but also as a resource for managing conversational structure and speaker-hearer alignment. By showing how speakers strategically exploit to organize discourse and negotiate participation, this study contributes to a more nuanced and interactionally grounded understanding of causal conjunctions in Mandarin and highlights the importance of sequential positioning in shaping their discourse functions.

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2025-07-17
2026-03-16

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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): because; continuing; discourse-interactional functions; interactional linguistics; reopening

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