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Teaching Chinese Metadiscourse in University Lectures: The Case of Jiushi (就是)

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Chinese for Specific and Professional Purposes

Part of the book series: Chinese Language Learning Sciences ((CLLS))

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Abstract

Studies have shown that metadiscourse plays a crucial role in comprehension, cohesion, and coherence of academic discourse. The study analyzed 450 min of academic lectures and identified three major metadiscourse functions of jiushi: intensification, elaboration, and pause filler. Intensification is further delineated as exclusiveness, concession, conditionality, and contrast, and elaborative use as reformulation and exemplification. We also provide a review and analysis of errors in the use of jiushi by learners of Chinese. Based on the results of analysis, material design for teaching the intensifying jiushi and classroom activities for teaching the elaborative and filler jiushi are proposed. It is hoped that this study elucidates both teaching and learning Chinese metadiscourse in academic settings.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The translation of jiushi is indicated in bold. However, if there is no corresponding meaning, we leave jiushi in the translation to show its relation with the surrounding discourse.

  2. 2.

    All the journals analyzed were award-winning journals granted by the ROC National Science Council between 2000 and 2009. Chang et al. (2012) used the same database in their study of attribution hedges in written Chinese academic discourse.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Vincent Yi-Lun Li & Miao-Hsia Chang

Authors
  1. Vincent Yi-Lun Li
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  2. Miao-Hsia Chang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miao-Hsia Chang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Hongyin Tao

  2. Department of English, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Howard Hao-Jan Chen

Appendix: List of Online Courses Used (Retrieved November 2017)

Appendix: List of Online Courses Used (Retrieved November 2017)

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    ROC Constitution and Government

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KQhF7KP9S3lHPGJ1KGXxLEMZwdErRFNh

  2. 2.

    Psychological Health and Prevention of Suicide

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  3. 3.

    Training of Expressiveness in Communication

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vLh5w7ebBAjS6K8Trs34s7Jw02qJTU2F

  4. 4.

    Qualitative Research

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qRzoN5gZwPjODY_20hhs6lb1ObH6mKxg =

  5. 5.

    Educational Psychology

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dy5iW5GxLfuTrzcRKyGRC9OpZLRgz08G

  6. 6.

    Quantitative Research

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IF9muu0QhpLV_2dIAc2zoQ7rvZjiC5HG

  7. 7.

    Gender in Animation Culture

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IQtQf2kxz4aCfQW3gPu0f02uFz1zBtlA

  8. 8.

    Love, Sex and Law

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  9. 9.

    Classical Works in Hakka Research

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    Economics

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=17rVY1lZ2w88QBz701Go89Zc6d6vRvKAL

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Li, V.YL., Chang, MH. (2019). Teaching Chinese Metadiscourse in University Lectures: The Case of Jiushi (就是). In: Tao, H., Chen, HJ. (eds) Chinese for Specific and Professional Purposes. Chinese Language Learning Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9505-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9505-5_2

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