Chinese Language and Discourse - Current Issue

Abstract

Given the historical and linguistic contexts of Singapore, it is both theoretically and practically significant to study Singapore Mandarin (SM), an important member of Global Chinese. This paper aims to present a relatively comprehensive linguistic picture of SM by overviewing current studies, particularly on the variations that distinguish SM from other Mandarin varieties, and to serve as a reference for future studies on SM. This paper notes that (a) current studies have often provided general descriptions of the variations, but less on individual variations that may lead to more theoretical discussions; (b) the studies on SM are primarily based on comparisons with Mainland China Mandarin; (c) language contact has been taken as the major contributor of the variation in SM, whereas other factors are often neglected; and (d) corpora with SM data are comparatively less developed and the evaluation of data has remained largely in descriptive statistics.

Abstract

Mandarin contrasts typologically with English in its lexicalization of state change (Talmy 2000). The majority of Mandarin monomorphemic verbs is moot about or implies a state change, whereas English has many monomorphemic verbs (e.g. kill) that entail a state change. This study investigates empirically the nuanced lexicalization of state-change implicature in Mandarin monomorphemic verbs and its implications for the linguistic typology of encoding state change. Two experiments were conducted with adult native Mandarin speakers: a rating task about the acceptability of sentences that expressed a failure of fulfilment of a state-change (e.g. Zhangsan sha le ji, ke shi ji mei si ‘Zhangsan killed a chicken, but it didn’t die’) and a multiple-choice task that probed the preferred interpretation of monomorphemic state-change verbs. The results of both studies reveal a significant effect of verb types and post hoc comparisons show a cline of state-change implicature in the target verbs.

Abstract

This study examines the changing perceptions of Taiwan Mandarin (TM) among Chinese mainlanders and how televised media contribute to the formation of language ideology. This study shows that televised media play a role in reinforcing the socio-semiotic link between ideologies and linguistic practice. TM is traditionally associated with chic, urban television celebrities and young cosmopolitan types. However, the results of an online survey measuring language attitudes towards televised TM among young mainlanders indicate that the social prestige of TM may be waning for this demographic. TM is now perceived by many millennials on the mainland as gentle, pretentious and emasculated. The changing attitude among millennials on the Chinese mainland towards TM can be ascribed in part to (1) social and economic changes on the mainland and (2) the way TM is stylized in televised media.

Abstract

This study examines a Chinese indirect speech act conventionally expressed with what I call the construction of earnest advice. From a constructionist perspective, I posit that the construction of earnest advice is an indirect speech act construction. Its idiosyncratic form is paired with the function of showing genuine concern and providing advice in the best interest of the hearer. Based on corpus evidence and discourse analysis, I analyze the contextually situated subtypes of this function, including passing judgments, providing suggestions, issuing complaints and mock sarcasms. The use of the contextual subtypes depends on interpersonal factors such as social distance, power difference, and group membership. This study has implications for politeness theories.

Abstract

This analysis aims at establishing the discourse construction as a theoretical construct within the framework of Construction Grammar. Linguistic constructions theoretically exist at different levels of analysis, but linguistic analyses at the level of discourse are few and far apart. This analysis showcases a study of a discourse construction that contains the internet neologism yě-shì-zuì-le. This discourse construction emerges from the Chinese cyberspace and develops complex meaning and function. I illustrate how the construct of discourse construction allows for an in-depth explanation its use and development. Also, the analysis of this construction demonstrates the necessity to redefine and broaden the consideration of ‘context’ when the idea of a discourse construction is introduced.

This article reviews 《规约化与立场表达》978-7-301-28771-2

This article reviews Grounding in Chinese Written Narrative Discourse978-90-04-31664-5