Displaying overt recipiency : reactive tokens in Mandarin task-oriented conversation
This thesis examines the interconnection between the linguistic forms of reactive tokens and their associated conversational actions in Mandarin conversation. It aims to show how reactive tokens are produced and interpreted by participants themselves as the display of an awareness of being a recipient in longer sequences. The central argument of the thesis is that participants display overt recipiency through variation and selection of reactive tokens in longer sequences in Mandarin conversation. This thesis shows that a consideration of the sequential organization of reactive tokens is as important as a consideration of their forms and functions in order to understand their prominent role in longer conversational sequences. Through sequential analysis, the investigation of reactive tokens shows that participants orient to and design a diversity of reactive tokens to construct and maintain mutual understanding and to create and secure recipient engagement. Through quantitative analysis, the frequency and distribution of six types of reactive tokens demonstrate their significant roles in first and second language interaction. Through deviant case analysis, the examination of miscues of reactive tokens reveals
Xu, Jun
P Philology. Linguistics
Displaying overt recipiency : reactive tokens in Mandarin task-oriented conversation. This thesis examines the interconnection between the linguistic forms of reactive tokens and their associated conversational actions in Mandarin conversation. It aims to show how reactive tokens are produced and interpreted by participants themselves as the display of an awareness of being a recipient in longer sequences. The central argument of the thesis is that participants display overt recipiency through variation and selection of reactive tokens in longer sequences in Mandarin conversation. This thesis shows that a consideration of the sequential organization of reactive tokens is as important as a consideration of their forms and functions in order to understand their prominent role in longer conversational sequences. Through sequential analysis, the investigation of reactive tokens shows that participants orient to and design a diversity of reactive tokens to construct and maintain mutual understanding and to create and secure recipient engagement. Through quantitative analysis, the frequency and distribution of six types of reactive tokens demonstrate their significant roles in first and second language interaction. Through deviant case analysis, the examination of miscues of reactive tokens reveals
overt reactive token mandarin task_oriented conversation examines interconnection linguistic_form reactive token associate conversational action mandarin conversation aim_show reactive token produce interpreted participant display awareness recipient long sequence central_argument participant display overt variation selection reactive token longer sequence mandarin conversation show consideration sequential organization reactive token important consideration form_function order prominent_role longer conversational sequence sequential analysis investigation reactive token show participant orient design diversity reactive token construct maintain mutual create secure recipient engagement quantitative_analysis frequency_distribution type reactive token significant_role first_second language interaction deviant case analysis examination reactive token reveals