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The Research of Foreign Language Signs in Beijing Road from the Perspective of Spolsky’s Language Policy Theory
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 3, May 2023
Pages:
63-70
Received:
10 April 2023
Accepted:
24 April 2023
Published:
10 May 2023
Abstract: Foreign language signs are used in providing message towards foreigners, including information, indication, warning, etc. While traveling in foreign countries, those correct signs play a crucial role in showing direction, introducing spots and keeping people away from danger and so on. However, the Beijing Road Cultural Tourism Zone, which receives a large number of foreign visitors, sets up some foreign language signs with wrong English translations. Moreover, as a tourism card of Guangzhou City, in the study of situation of foreign language sigs translation, the Beijing Road Cultural Tourism Zone have not yet been studied as an example. Therefore, this thesis chooses to research on it. Based on the three dimensions of language practices, language ideology, and language planning of Spolsky’s language policy theory, this thesis adopts questionnaires and field surveys to investigate and analyze the current situation and its reasons of the English translation of foreign language signs on the Beijing Road Cultural Tourism Zone of Guangzhou City. The survey shows that there are many situations with the translation of foreign language signs on Beijing Road, such as translating in pinyin and non-use of the English translation, as well as inconsistent translation, omission of translation, literal translation, and spelling errors. The above situation is a reflection of the completeness of Cantonese pinyin system and the Guangzhou government’s cultural protection, the government’s strong language sovereignty ideology and uneven language service ideology of the people involved, and the inadequate language planning in regulations formulation, translation standard publicity and translators’ management. Finally, this thesis proposes several strategies to provide certain reference proposals for Guangzhou city to formulate and improve relative language policies.
Abstract: Foreign language signs are used in providing message towards foreigners, including information, indication, warning, etc. While traveling in foreign countries, those correct signs play a crucial role in showing direction, introducing spots and keeping people away from danger and so on. However, the Beijing Road Cultural Tourism Zone, which receives...
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System of Semantic Universals in the Sound Space Lexicon
Yuliia Yusyp-Yakymovych,
Oksana Shovak
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 3, May 2023
Pages:
71-77
Received:
2 February 2023
Accepted:
8 May 2023
Published:
17 May 2023
Abstract: One of the central problems of typological linguistics is the identification and study of common features inherent in all or most languages. All natural languages have common and distinctive regularities. The common patterns established as a result of the intersection of linguistic features in different languages by means of the comparative method are called linguistic universals. The linguistic universals established in this way in different languages of different families belong to one of the central problems of typological linguistics, to universology or linguistics of universals. The paper is a continuation of the study of absolute universals that know no exceptions or are characteristic of almost all languages of the world. The aim of the study is the system of semantic universals. Using the comparative and descriptive methods, the material of the Indo-European and Ugro-Finnish languages, representing the lexicon of the sound space of 25 languages of different language groups and families, has been traced. The languages under comparison belong to different language systems, but they have absolute universal onomatopoeic semantic formations. The reason for this typology lies in the closeness of these universals to the natural sounds of the reality, which are imitated by different language systems. In all the languages of the world, the objective basis of the studied semantic universals is extra-linguistic sound, imitation of the phenomena of sound space, because they arise in the same sphere of semantics in all languages - noise, creaking, screaming, hitting - sound in general. The formation of semantic universals is determined by two factors: extra-linguistic, or universal, independent of a particular language, and linguistic, which manifests itself in different ways depending on a particular language. The reason for this typology lies in the closeness of such semantic universals to the natural sounds of the surrounding reality, which are imitated by different language systems. Consequently, their sound shells are related to the corresponding phenomena of objective reality through their semantics. The proposed study is a contribution to the development of the theory of universals or universology as a separate science, which at this stage of linguistics development is separated from typological linguistics.
Abstract: One of the central problems of typological linguistics is the identification and study of common features inherent in all or most languages. All natural languages have common and distinctive regularities. The common patterns established as a result of the intersection of linguistic features in different languages by means of the comparative method ...
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Multimodal Refusal and Response to Refusal of Chinese-Speaking Children: A Comparative Case Study
Rongbin Wang,
Mengyao Zhao,
Yunqing Qiao,
Yaoqin Xue
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 3, May 2023
Pages:
78-86
Received:
25 April 2023
Accepted:
9 May 2023
Published:
17 May 2023
Abstract: As a complex and dynamic phenomenon, multimodal discourse has gained increasing attention in various fields. One common type of multimodal act among children is multimodal refusal, which involves a communicative act of rejecting an offer, request, or invitation using multimodal semiotic resources such as verbal languages, gestures and body movements, etc. Usually, a refusal is followed by a response to it. The analysis of children’s refusal and their responses to refusal can shed light on the ways in which they manage social relationships and interpersonal dynamics in their interactions. Choosing Chinese-speaking children’s acts of multimodal refusal on one hand and their responses to refusal on the other hand as its research object, this paper aims to examine and systematically reveal the representational and interactional characteristics of such discourse. A naturally occurred corpus of 100 videos with a length of 120.24 minutes is collected and analyzed, on the basis of which the modal representation, modal interaction and multimodal graduation characteristics of Chinese-speaking children’s multimodal refusal-response acts in the early school age are thoroughly analyzed and compared guided by Systemic Functional Grammar and Appraisal Theory. It is found that 62% of the refusal acts are caused by acts of request, and 68% of the children would use multiple modes to implement acts of refusal. Children’s multimodal refusal-response acts has the highest frequency of modal synergy, and some children would have strong emotional reactions after being refused. It is suggested that, children’s multimodal refusal-response acts should be concerned and valued by researchers, educators and children’s parents.
Abstract: As a complex and dynamic phenomenon, multimodal discourse has gained increasing attention in various fields. One common type of multimodal act among children is multimodal refusal, which involves a communicative act of rejecting an offer, request, or invitation using multimodal semiotic resources such as verbal languages, gestures and body movement...
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A Narrative Review of Studies on the Syntax-Lexical Semantics Interface: With Special Reference to the Chinese Language
Xiqin Liu,
Xintong Lin,
Rulin Luo,
Zhiruo Gao
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 3, May 2023
Pages:
87-93
Received:
10 April 2023
Accepted:
8 May 2023
Published:
22 May 2023
Abstract: In microlinguistics, the syntax-lexical semantics interface is a key research area that focuses on the interaction between the lexical properties of predicates and the related syntactic structures. This paper provides an overview of the main studies in the area published internationally in the past four decades, categorizing them into three major groups of approaches (the Projectionist, the Constructionist, and the interactive). It also offers a critical reflection on the field and provides suggestions for future research. Two recent trends of research are highlighted: (1) empirical research with evidence from neurocognitive experiments; (2) emphasis shifting from the first language (L1) to second language (L2) acquisition with an eye on linguistic typology and special interest in Chinese, a language of typological significance. We hold that the Projectionist theory or approach could be used to explain the syntactic differences among verbs whereas the Constructionist may be more suitable for explaining the realization of different argument structures of the same verb. The recent interactive and dynamic approach to the syntax-lexical semantics interface seems to have the strongest explanatory power, which is supported by an increasing body of neurocognitive evidence. Further interdisciplinary research from such perspectives as linguistic typology, cognitive psychology and neurocognitive science may be instrumental in solving important issues including Baker’s Paradox and cross-linguistic variation regularities of verb lexicalization.
Abstract: In microlinguistics, the syntax-lexical semantics interface is a key research area that focuses on the interaction between the lexical properties of predicates and the related syntactic structures. This paper provides an overview of the main studies in the area published internationally in the past four decades, categorizing them into three major g...
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