Vocatives in English serve pragmatic functions such as coherence, involvement, and politeness. Vocatives indicate the addressee and build connections between parts of a conversation. They can signal agreement, disagreement, and the speaker's attitude. Politeness is also reflected through vocatives, as different terms are used depending on the interpersonal relationship between speakers based on factors like culture and level of familiarity. Chinese and English differ in how frequently and directly vocatives are used to manage conversations.
Vocatives in English serve pragmatic functions such as coherence, involvement, and politeness. Vocatives indicate the addressee and build connections between parts of a conversation. They can signal agreement, disagreement, and the speaker's attitude. Politeness is also reflected through vocatives, as different terms are used depending on the interpersonal relationship between speakers based on factors like culture and level of familiarity. Chinese and English differ in how frequently and directly vocatives are used to manage conversations.
Vocatives in English serve pragmatic functions such as coherence, involvement, and politeness. Vocatives indicate the addressee and build connections between parts of a conversation. They can signal agreement, disagreement, and the speaker's attitude. Politeness is also reflected through vocatives, as different terms are used depending on the interpersonal relationship between speakers based on factors like culture and level of familiarity. Chinese and English differ in how frequently and directly vocatives are used to manage conversations.
Vocatives in English serve pragmatic functions such as coherence, involvement, and politeness. Vocatives indicate the addressee and build connections between parts of a conversation. They can signal agreement, disagreement, and the speaker's attitude. Politeness is also reflected through vocatives, as different terms are used depending on the interpersonal relationship between speakers based on factors like culture and level of familiarity. Chinese and English differ in how frequently and directly vocatives are used to manage conversations.
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English vocatives as pragmatic markers
Introduction Key points on what we do Deixis • Personal pronouns • Vocatives
A vocative is a word or phrase used to address a
reader or listener directly, usually in the form of a personal name, title, or term of endearment.
Its functions can be concluded as coherence,
involvement and politeness. “Vocatives is a class under parallel markers, whose function is to signal an entire message in addition to the basic message. “
By using one of these vocative forms, the speaker is explicitly sending the message who is the addressee of the message given by the speaker. COHERENC E COHERENCE
Vocatives carry the property of coherence. The build strong connections between different parts of context and achieve coherence.
Function of coherence turn-initiating turn-maintaining turn-taking turn-offering topic-shifting COHERENCE-Example
e.g. "Ladies and gentlemen, good evening."
e.g. COHERENCE- Differences between Chinese and English vocatives
• Chinese vocatives are used more frequently than English.
• Chinese speakers are more likely to use vocatives to address the other person or to refer to themselves or their group, such as 'nǐ' ( 你 ) and 'wǒmen' ( 我们 ).
• English speakers use vocatives less and rely more on other cues such as intonation, eye contact and context to signal turn-taking and coherence. INVOLVEMEN T INVOLVEMENT
Name vocatives can reflect the speaker's involvement, Through the observation of name vocatives, Vocatives can indicate the attitude of the speaker. we can see the speaker's attitude towards the discourse.
• Vocatives can signal either agreement or disagreement meaning.
• Vocatives also convey the speaker’s positive or negative evaluations of the addressee’s social status, personality and morality. INVOLVEMENT-Example • Vocatives can signal either agreement or disagreement meaning.
• Vocatives also convey the speaker’s positive or negative evaluations of the addressee’s social status, personality and morality. INVOLVEMENT-Summary
close relationship • endearment, nickname and honorific maintain the original relationship • name shows the age and other characteristics, such as neutral name, gender name… expressing messages that alienate one another • the derogatory name, derogatory figurative name, and nouns means alienation
differences between English and Chinese
• Chinese alienation: euphemistic and people's emotions, implied meaning • English alienation: more straightforward, often in the literal sense. POLITENES S POLITENESS
“Concerned with the interactional constraints we follow when establishing, maintaining or
Interlocutors use different terms of address according to their interpersonal
relationships. POLITENESS-Example e.g. Chinese
e.g. English POLITENESS-difference
Chinese mostly uses kinship terms, occupational titles and evaluative terms to reflect interpersonal differences. • “ 妈 ( 妈 ) ／爸 ( 爸 )” 和“母亲”／“父亲” are used to reflect the normal or distanced parent-child relationship • “ 姓 + 老” in books are respectful names • “ 单字 + 宝” means intimacy • “ 连姓带名” address indicates a general relationship and may even be impolite In contrast, English prefers to use names to reflect interpersonal relationships. • "first name or Christian name" is often used to express respect or intimacy • "nickname" is used to express intimacy • "surname is commensurate" or "surname + first name" is used to express unfamiliar relationship Reason for the differences between Chinese and English Chinese culture is a culture of collectivism • a person tends to have a clear understanding of the relationship between others and themselves • use relations between them to address each other
English culture is a culture of individualism
• Individuals are respected for identifying, functioning and standing on their own • people to address others by name.
Cultural Differences in Politeness Principles Between Chinese and
English Cultures. SUMMARY Chinese and English people tend to use vocatives differently to achieve the effect of turn-changing, showing speaker's attitude and managing relationship.
Chinese English Coherence Higher Frequency Lower frequency More formal Less formal Direct Indirect Involvement Euphemistic Dierect
(Im)politeness Kinship terms, Names
occupational titles and evaluative terms THANK YOU
