Politeness Phenomena across Chinese Genres

by Xinren Chen

Overview

This volume looks at politeness phenomena in a culture and country that is becoming the most influential in the world. It is the first book to survey politeness variations across different genres in Chinese and fills a gap in both politeness research in general and in Chinese politeness research in particular.

Unlike existing studies which treat Chinese politeness phenomena as non-varying this study provides systemic evidence for how linguistic polite behaviour varies across genres in China. These intracultural variations which are investigated in the volume include addressing, backchanneling, identity construction and rapport management which are subject to the influence of genre differences such as formality of occasion, media and channel of communication, presence or absence of interlocutor or third party and role-configurations. The volume offers those who read or write Chinese texts or engage in Chinese conversation an enriched knowledge of how politeness as the most important type of interpersonal meaning is communicated in different genres in that language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781791769
Publisher:	Equinox Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2017
Series:	Pragmatic Interfaces
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.17(h) x (d)

About the Author

Xinren Chen is Professor of English and Linguistics in the School of Foreign Studies at Nanjing University, P. R. China and is co-editor of East Asian Pragmatics. He has published papers in pragmatics and foreign language teaching in journals such as Journal of Pragmatics, Foreign Language Teaching and Research, Modern Foreign Languages and Contemporary Linguistics. The major monographs he authors or co-authors include Contemporary Pragmatics, English Grammar in Use, The Pragmatics of Overinformativeness in Conversation, A Critical Pragmatic Perspective on Public Discourse, Politeness Theories and Foreign Language Learning and Pragmatics and Foreign Language Teaching.

Table of Contents

Preface Yuling Pan Introduction Xinren Chen Part I: Politeness in Various Chinese Introduction/Response Settings 1. Guest Introductions and Responses at Chinese Dinner Tables Xueyu Wang 2. Hosts' Introductions and Visiting Professors' Responses in Lecture Openings Xinren Chen 3. Celebrity Introductions and Responses in the Openings of Chinese TV Celebrity Interview Programmes Yonghong Qian Part II: Identity Construction and Politeness in Various Chinese Interactions 4. Identity Construction in Responses to Radio-mediated Call-in Complaints Wei Ren 5. Relational Acts and Identity Construction by Chinese Celebrities on Weibo Doreen D. Wu, Minfen Lin 6. Experts' Identity Construction and Rapport Management in the Chinese Context of Ph D Oral Defence Yongping Ran, Qian Chen Part III: Politeness in Various Conflictive Chinese Situations 7. Rapport Orientations of Women Guests when Making Refusals and Obligations of the Host on Chinese Reality TV Dating Shows Tzu-Wei Hsiang, Victoria Rau 8. Panelists' Rapport Management in Expressing Disagreement at Conference Discussions Liyin Zhang, Xiaoyan Wang 9. Politeness and Disagreement in Hong Kong Internet Discussion Forums Cynthia Lee, Winnie Shum Part IV: Backchanneling and Politeness in Various Chinese Interactions 10. Backchanneling for Positive Politeness in Chinese TV Interviews Rong Chen, Chunmei Hu 11. Backchanneling and Politeness in the Interaction of Medical Consultation Yansheng Mao, Kun Yang 12. Backchanneling in Internet Interactions: Implications on Netiquette Xiyun Zhong

Editorial Reviews

"A much welcome addition to the ongoing exploration of Chinese politeness, as well as politeness research in general. It also has significant implications to cross-cultural pragmatics, and intercultural communication." From the Foreword by Yuling Pan

From the Publisher