scholarly journals Denying, Qualifying, or Diverting with “meishier” in Open-Class Repair in Mandarin Chinese Talk

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. p1
Author(s):  
Quanxi HAO
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Profound Knowledge ◽  
Repair Procedure ◽  
Open Class

When engaging in a conversation, interact ants frequently encounter problems of hearing, speaking and understanding. Under such circumstances repair is usually resorted to ensure the progressivity of the talk. With the methodology of Conversation Analysis, one specific repair procedure has been investigated in this paper which is open-class repair initiated by the recipient with “huh?” or “what?” followed by the speaker denying the existence of the previous action, qualifying or diverting the previous action in the trouble source turn (the turn with the problem) with “meishier”. And in these three situations “meishier” can be probably translated respectively into “nothing”, “nothing serious” and “I’m ok”. Therefore, this research would provide a profound knowledge about the actions conducted by “meishier” as well as a specific guidance to the translation of “meishier” into English.

Restrictiveness, exclusivity, adversativity, and mirativity

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Fang Wang ◽  
Mei-Chi Tsai ◽  
Wayne Schams ◽  
Chi-Ming Yang
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Discourse Marker ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Interactional Linguistics ◽  
English Only ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Turn Taking

Mandarin Chinese zhishi (similar to English ‘only’), comprised of the adverb zhi and the copula shi, can act as an adverb (ADV) or a discourse marker (DM). This study analyzes the role of zhishi in spoken discourse, based on the methodological and theoretical principles of interactional linguistics and conversation analysis. The corpus used in this study consists of three sets of data: 1) naturally-occurring daily conversations; 2) radio/TV interviews; and 3) TV panel discussions on current political affairs. As a whole, this study reveals that the notions of restrictiveness, exclusivity, and adversativity are closely associated with ADV zhishi and DM zhishi. In addition, the present data show that since zhishi is often used to express a ‘less than expected’ feeling, it can be used to indicate mirativity (i.e. language indicating that an utterance conveys the speaker’s surprise). The data also show that the distribution of zhishi as an adverb or discourse marker depends on turn taking systems and speech situations in spoken discourse. Specifically, the ADV zhishi tends to occur in radio/TV interviews and TV panel news discussions, while the DM zhishi occurs more often in casual conversations.

A study of repeat-formatted repair initiations in Mandarin Chinese conversation

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-186
Author(s):  
Lihong Quan ◽  
Jinlong Ma
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Epistemic Stance ◽  
Research Findings

Abstract Using the methodology of Conversation Analysis (or CA), this study examines three types of other-initiated repair initiators (henceforth OIs) that repeats some element in the trouble-source (henceforth repeats) in Chinese conversation: repeats suffixed with question particles ma (吗), repeats suffixed with question particles a (啊), and question-intonated repeats. It attempts to explore the differences between these typical formats, in terms of their forms/functions and the epistemic stance of the speaker who initiates repair. The main research findings indicate that question-intonated repeat implements an understanding check while repeat suffixed with question particles (ma or a) tends to serve different functions, in that, ma-suffixed repeat is inquiry-implicated while a-suffixed repeat contributes to constructing surprise, (dis)agreement or (dis)belief.

Doing conversation analysis in Mandarin Chinese

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruey-Jiuan Regina Wu
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Analytic Process ◽  
Chinese Scholars

This article aims to introduce Conversation Analytic (CA) methods to the community of Chinese scholars, and especially to linguists who work with Mandarin Chinese and are just beginning to adopt CA methods in their work. I believe doing CA requires not only an understanding of its terminology but also a working knowledge of CA methods. To this end, rather than simply explaining CA methods abstractly, I offer the reader a glimpse of the research process in action by presenting data and findings of my own research and then taking the reader step-by-step through the analytic process — from initial observations of a candidate phenomenon, through the process of making a collection of cases, and finally explaining criteria for establishing an empirically-grounded finding. Special focus is placed on the importance of detecting “participants’ orientations to action” and the more difficult process of finding evidence for the phenomenon from nonconforming specimens.

scholarly journals The Pragmatics of Emotions in Interlinguistic Healthcare Settings

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Farini
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Healthcare Provider ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Emotional Expressions ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Medical Terms ◽  
Intercultural Pragmatics

Data-based studies on interlinguistic medical interaction show that frequently migrant patients encounter difficulties in expressing their emotions and concerns. Such difficulties are not always overcome through the intervention of an interpreter, as emotional expressions tend to “get missed” in translations which focus on problems and treatments in medical terms. The main question addressed here is: what types of interpreters’ actions cut out, or make relevant, migrant patients’ emotions? Our data is based on a corpus of 300 interlinguistic medical interactions in Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and Italian in two public hospitals in Italy. The conversations involve one Italian healthcare provider, an interpreter and a migrant patient. The corpus is analyzed drawing upon Conversation Analysis, studies on Dialogue Interpreting and Intercultural Pragmatics.

Nonverbal aspects of turn taking in Mandarin Chinese interaction

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Yang
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Video Data ◽  
Nonverbal Cues ◽  
Chinese Universities ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Chinese Speakers ◽  
Turn Taking

This paper examines the nonverbal aspects of turn taking system in Mandarin Chinese talk-in-interaction. Based on the audio and video data collected from real conversational settings in Chinese universities, this project uses conversation analysis (CA) theory to analyze how university-educated Mandarin Chinese speakers utilize various nonverbal resources with reference to turn yielding, turn up-taking and turn maintaining strategies to achieve effective interpersonal communication . The research results show that the current speaking party (SP) and listening party (LP) use nonverbal tokens such as hand drop in yielding turns, gaze and touch in taking up turns, and non-gaze, thinking face and finger count in maintaining turns. Understanding of these nonverbal cues employed can help prospective intercultural communicators interact with Mandarin Chinese speakers more effectively and successfully.

Inference-embedded yes/no interrogatives in Mandarin Chinese conversation

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Guo ◽  
Yaxin Wu
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Epistemic Stance ◽  
State Of Affairs

In talk-in-interaction, the details of the design of a yes/no interrogative (YNI) index the speaker’s epistemic stance about the issue in question. Adopting conversation analysis as the research method, the present study examines the interactional deployment of inference-embedded YNIs in Mandarin Chinese. The analysis of the turn designs and sequential environments of these interrogatives, as well as the design of the responses to them, indicates that a sequence organisation is engendered in and through the production of inference-embedded YNIs. Since the recipient has epistemic primacy over what is questioned, the questioner’s inference embedded in YNIs may be congruent or incongruent with the recipient’s own state of affairs. In this respect, the questioner’ s inference may be right or wrong. If the recipient finds that the inference is wrong, he or she has the responsibility to execute correction of the questioner’s wrong inference. Indeed, the recipient does display his/her treatment of the inference as wrong through correction. It is through such reflexive connection between the production (action formation) and the interpretation (action ascription) of the YNI that the inference-embedded YNI is treated as a practice for projecting a correction of what is inferred to the question recipient.

scholarly journals Adjusting epistemic gradients: The final particle ba in Mandarin Chinese conversation

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-26
Author(s):  
Kobin H. Kendrick
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Epistemic Position ◽  
Final Particle ◽  
Social Actions

In Mandarin Chinese conversation, the final particle ba contributes to the formation of a variety of social actions. Using the methods of conversation analysis, this article examines the use of the ba particle in answers to questions, informings, and assessments. It is argued that the particle serves as a turn-constructional resource for the adjustment of the epistemic gradient invoked in the sequence, downgrading the speaker’s epistemic position. In assessment sequences, the epistemic adjustment made by the particle also serves to solicit a response from the recipient who invariably has knowledge of the matter in question. An analysis of the ba particle in terms of epistemic gradients and their adjustment unifies two accounts of the particle’s function put forward in the literature.

analysis of Mandarin Chinese final particle ba in dispreferred responses

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-261
Author(s):  
Jun Xu
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Final Particle ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Close Relationship

In Mandarin Chinese conversation, the final particle ba is considered to performvariousfunctions. Using conversation analysis, this article examines the use of thefinal particle ba in dispreferred responses. It is argued that the particle ba is usedto mitigate negative valence with delays, alternative choices, accounts, and pro-formaagreement as well as other linguistic features in disagreements and decliningsuggestions or invitations. Also, the results reveal a close relationship between theparticle ba functioning as a mitigator or displaying a speaker's uncertainty in socialactions as well as sequential positions.

Absent appreciation in Mandarin Chinese interaction

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Liang
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Sequential Analysis ◽  
Complete Sequence ◽  
Normative Expectation ◽  
Linguistic Resources ◽  
The Social

When receiving something beneficial, interlocutors are expected to express their appreciation in the second pair part (SPP) or the sequence-closing third position with linguistic resources such as ‘thanks’ and ‘thank you’, thus forming an adjency pair or a complete sequence. However, under some circumstances, relevant or appropriate appreciation is expected but does not appear. Adopting conversation analysis as the research methodology, this article examines the absence of appreciation in ordinary Mandarin interactions where gratitude and appreciation are often socially prescribed. Its sequential analysis of talks demonstrates that at times a verbal appreciative response in situations such as offering and requesting does not occur until a later conversational turn rather than in the preferred second pair part, whereas at other times the social action, although expected, is actually absent in social interaction. The analysis of the data shows that when interlocutors transgress the normative expectation of appreciation, the expected pattern of action and interactional organisation will be evidenced circumstantially within the ongoing interaction itself. The present study proves that deviations from standard forms in the interactional organisation can give rise to additional accounts or other visible interactional behaviour.

Other-repetitions in Mandarin Chinese

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-238
Author(s):  
Xiuzhen Xiong ◽  
Lihong Quan
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Reactive Tokens

It is generally acknowledged that other-repetitions have various functions in daily conversation. However, no research has yet been done to explore the relationship between their functions and responses. This study sets out to bridge this gap by investigating the functions of other-repetitions in Mandarin Chinese conversations as well as the relationships between the functions and the responses. Adopting the method of conversation analysis, the study shows that other-repetitions may be accomplished by no response, minimal response, and expanded response, which are highly related with the functions that other-repetitions fulfil. Specifically, (i) for other-repetitions serving as reactive tokens to show listenership, alignment, and registering of receipt, no response is needed; (ii) for other-repetitions indicating recipients’ understanding of the previous utterance, a further confirmation or minimal response is generally needed; and (iii) for other-repetitions with a rising intonation or particular stress of certain words indicating recipients’ failure in understanding what is uttered, they will be accomplished by expanded responses.

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