A Corpus-based Study of the Discourse-Pragmatic Functions of the Mandarin Chinese Fanzheng

• Main Author: 薛ㄧ菁
• Other Authors: 王萸芳
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/14617514589381898151

碩士 === 高雄師範大學 === 華語文教學研究所 === 100 === This study aims to investigate the various discourse-pragmatic functions of the Mandarin Chinese fanzheng in spoken discourse corpus and examines the distribution of fanzheng in . The database contains the total length is 14 hours 34 minutes and 14 seconds. Based on Halliday’s (1994) three-level model of language’s metafunctions, the study analyzes the functions of fanzheng at the two levels of talk: textual and interactional/interpersonal levels. In particular, it takes a cognitive and social approach to looking at fanzheng by using Conversation Analysis (Sacks, Schegloff & Jefferson, 1974; Pomerantz, 1975, 1984), Theory of Relevance (Sperber & Wilson, 1986), and Politeness principle (Leech, 1983). As the data show, fanzheng can be used at utterance-initial, turn-initial, and utterance-medial positions. It can function as further elaboration at the textual level, and serve one more function as a transition marker. At the interactional/interpersonal level, fanzheng performs five functions: starting a topic, getting back turn, topic shifting, floor holding, and conveying disagreement. We can see that fanzheng is developing into other pragmatic functions. Based on the results of this study, some suggestions are made for teaching Chinese as a second/foreign language.