Resolving conflicts between maxims : a developmental account of narrative text production in Greek
The work in this thesis illustrates the system underlying narrative text production through a detailed description of the nature and working of the principles that give rise to age-related differences in textual style in Greek. The stated issue is addressed by tracing the way in which event connectivity is realized through the options that Greek language makes available to language producers, Greek schoolchildren (8, 10 and 12 years old) and adults. The data consist of three types of material: a) narrative texts written by Greek schoolchildren and adults on the basis of picture-sequences and on free topics b) readers' responses and c) conversations with the children and their teachers used as a means of capturing their assumptions regarding language use. Differences in text production are accounted for through a system, called 'textural logic', consisting of a number of multiple-interacting first- and second-order pragmatic principles and maxims (including the Gricean maxims) whose operation and interaction represent the logic underlying specific text-building strategies. The crucial issue examined pertains to tensions in textual logic brought about by clashes between the postulated maxims. Conflicts between
Kostouli, Triantafillia
Resolving conflicts between maxims : a developmental account of narrative text production in Greek. The work in this thesis illustrates the system underlying narrative text production through a detailed description of the nature and working of the principles that give rise to age-related differences in textual style in Greek. The stated issue is addressed by tracing the way in which event connectivity is realized through the options that Greek language makes available to language producers, Greek schoolchildren (8, 10 and 12 years old) and adults. The data consist of three types of material: a) narrative texts written by Greek schoolchildren and adults on the basis of picture-sequences and on free topics b) readers' responses and c) conversations with the children and their teachers used as a means of capturing their assumptions regarding language use. Differences in text production are accounted for through a system, called 'textural logic', consisting of a number of multiple-interacting first- and second-order pragmatic principles and maxims (including the Gricean maxims) whose operation and interaction represent the logic underlying specific text-building strategies. The crucial issue examined pertains to tensions in textual logic brought about by clashes between the postulated maxims. Conflicts between
conflict maxim developmental account narrative_text production greek work illustrate system underlie narrative_text production detail_description nature work principle give_rise age_related difference textual style greek state issue_address trace way event connectivity realize option greek language make_available language producer greek schoolchildren adult data_consist three_type material narrative_text write greek schoolchildren adults basis picture free topic reader_response conversation child teacher use mean capture assumption_regard language_use differences text production account system call logic consist number multiple first second order pragmatic principle maxim include gricean maxim whose operation interaction represent logic underlie specific text building strategy crucial issue examine tension textual logic brought clash postulate maxim conflicts