What is it about?
The use of the Chinese particle le cannot be grasped by a simple grammatical rule. In this study, context of use was studied as a crucial component and a context-sensitive mechanism was discovered, showing that Chinese speakers take note of DEVIATION from a normal or regular situation, or alternatively when the current situation is a deviation, a SOLUTION and a return to normal.
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Why is it important?
This study demonstrates that Chinese grammar (and by implication all grammars) cannot be studied as context-free. This extensive study of the use of the Chinese particle le demonstrates that language users have a complete contextual model in their mind and that grammar rules help to establish, update or change the settings of that model.
Perspectives
The implications of this study are far reaching. Linguists in the past 50 years or so were obsessed with grammatical rules and failed to understand the crucial role of cognitive functioning and the creation of mental models as fundamental to understanding language use. This study contributes to this change in orientation by providing extensive empirical data in which way endless and senseless debates about possible uses of sentences is avoided.
Dr Marinus van den BERG
IIAS
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Chinese Particle Le, May 2006, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.4324/9780203967898.
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