Discourse and Discourse and SyntaxSyntaxMarch 5, 2009March 5, 2009

Thompson and Couper-Kuhlen. Thompson and Couper-Kuhlen.

Clause as Locus of InteractionClause as Locus of Interaction

grammar shapes

interaction

IntroductionIntroduction

observation of interaction (discourse) will observation of interaction (discourse) will help us understand more about grammatical help us understand more about grammatical structures.structures.

grammar shapes interaction

IntroductionIntroduction

Interaction shapes Interaction shapes grammargrammar

actionsactions greeting peoplegreeting people ending a conversationending a conversation

Interaction shapes Interaction shapes grammargrammar

An analysis of interaction contributes to An analysis of interaction contributes to our understanding of grammar.our understanding of grammar.

A linguistic perspective on the nature of A linguistic perspective on the nature of grammar must be both interactionally grammar must be both interactionally sensible and cognitively realistic.sensible and cognitively realistic.

FormatsFormats or or schemasschemas are a valuable are a valuable notion in the study of language in notion in the study of language in interaction. interaction. (patterns)(patterns)

Schemas in interactionSchemas in interaction

Schemas in interactionSchemas in interaction

utterances (in certain contexts)utterances (in certain contexts) habits (schemas, patterns)habits (schemas, patterns) part of grammar (function)part of grammar (function)

Interaction shapes grammarInteraction shapes grammar

Interaction shapes Interaction shapes grammargrammar

In a conversation, we need to solve In a conversation, we need to solve communicational problems.communicational problems.

The utterances made in a conversation The utterances made in a conversation become a routine. They are repeated in become a routine. They are repeated in subsequent instances.subsequent instances.

They become grammaticalized and become They become grammaticalized and become part of the grammar.part of the grammar.

Different languages find varying grammatical Different languages find varying grammatical solutions.solutions.

How does grammar shape interaction?How does grammar shape interaction?

Interaction and the Interaction and the ‘‘clauseclause’’

What task is the other person trying to accomplish?What task is the other person trying to accomplish? We know through the utterances spoken.We know through the utterances spoken.

We know what the other person is trying to say.We know what the other person is trying to say. We know when the other person completes his utterance.We know when the other person completes his utterance.

Grammar plays the major role in this understanding.Grammar plays the major role in this understanding.

Interaction and the Interaction and the ‘‘clauseclause’’

When a turn is finished, the stretch of talk is a When a turn is finished, the stretch of talk is a grammatical format.grammatical format.

In English, this grammatical format is the clause.In English, this grammatical format is the clause.

Interaction and the Interaction and the clauseclause

In other languages, the clause is also In other languages, the clause is also thought of as the locus of interaction.thought of as the locus of interaction.

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’

Upon hearing the predicate (which is within the Upon hearing the predicate (which is within the clause), the recipient will know what action is clause), the recipient will know what action is being taken up.being taken up. This is also true for Japanese.This is also true for Japanese. The authors are trying to say that this is true for any The authors are trying to say that this is true for any

language.language.

The predicateThe predicate when it will occur (early or late)when it will occur (early or late) the nature of that predicatethe nature of that predicate

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’ More than half of utterances are not clauses, but More than half of utterances are not clauses, but

utterances are made with reference to a nearby verb or utterances are made with reference to a nearby verb or predicate.predicate.

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’

Is this also true in Mandarin Chinese, Is this also true in Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese, or Hakka? Can you provide Taiwanese, or Hakka? Can you provide illustrations?illustrations?

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’ in English in English

Clause formats:Clause formats: Subject NP (pronoun) + verb (complex) + object NP + Subject NP (pronoun) + verb (complex) + object NP +

prep phrase + adverb + adv phraseprep phrase + adverb + adv phrase

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’ in English in English

Lines 12-15Lines 12-15 When an English When an English

speaker hears an NP speaker hears an NP near the beginning of a near the beginning of a turn unit, s/he can predict turn unit, s/he can predict that a verb complex is that a verb complex is likely to follow.likely to follow.

Upon hearing that verb Upon hearing that verb complex, s/he can complex, s/he can narrow down the range narrow down the range of types of linguistic of types of linguistic elements that it would elements that it would take to complete the take to complete the clause in context and clause in context and thus to bring the turn unit thus to bring the turn unit to a point of possible to a point of possible completion.completion.

Lines 12-15Lines 12-15

The clause in EnglishThe clause in English

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’ in Japanese in Japanese

JapaneseJapanese clause: predicate + phrasesclause: predicate + phrases But the Japanese clause has a different But the Japanese clause has a different

structure from English.structure from English.

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’ in Japanese in Japanese

Japanese: delayed projectabilityJapanese: delayed projectability predicate comes lastpredicate comes last anaphors; how many NPs is not predictableanaphors; how many NPs is not predictable

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’ in Japanese in Japanese

to compensate,to compensate, utterance-final elements (following the predicate): utterance-final elements (following the predicate):

speaker’s stance and mark turn as completespeaker’s stance and mark turn as complete

The The ‘‘clauseclause’’ in Japanese in Japanesesaying verb

English and JapaneseEnglish and Japanese