In this thesis, the phenomenon of dangling topic sentences in Mandarin is investigated. These topics can appear without obvious marking in sentence initial position and are not related to a...Show moreIn this thesis, the phenomenon of dangling topic sentences in Mandarin is investigated. These topics can appear without obvious marking in sentence initial position and are not related to a resumptive pronoun or a gap in the comment. The goal is to explain that these sentences are actually not exclusive to Mandarin, but also appear in many other languages. Furthermore, I provide evidence that suggests that these topics receive a topic marker that is part of the numeration and are thus not as "bare" as they appear to be at first glance. This marker can either be realized prosodically or by a particle.Show less
Mandarin Chinese has a grammatical category that contains what is generally called yǔqìcí (语气词), a term that is translated into English as ‘modal particles,’ ‘mood particles,’ or ‘emotional...Show moreMandarin Chinese has a grammatical category that contains what is generally called yǔqìcí (语气词), a term that is translated into English as ‘modal particles,’ ‘mood particles,’ or ‘emotional particles.’ These particles primarily appear at the end of sentences and are often regarded as modifying a whole sentence rather than its linguistic unit; therefore, they are also known as ‘sentence-final particles’ or ‘sentence particles.’ Considering the high frequency of such particles in spoken Chinese than in written Chinese, Luke (1990) and Chu (2002) also refer to the term as ‘utterance particles’ or ‘utterance-final particles.’Show less
This thesis discusses the properties of the current global language English, along with other three languages: Esperanto, Latin, and Classical Chinese who once were or close to be an international...Show moreThis thesis discusses the properties of the current global language English, along with other three languages: Esperanto, Latin, and Classical Chinese who once were or close to be an international language. This paper attempts to figure out if Chinese will replace English as the next global language by listing the properties of a global language following a comparison of the list with properties of Modern Chinese. In order to find out the properties of a global language, this thesis analyzes the reasons why each language became a global or a regional lingua franca and why some of the languages failed to maintain the status of being an international language. The result shows that being a global language often relies on colonial expansion, strong influence in multiple fields throughout the world and the easiness of acquiring the language. Chinese being the only language written with characters and the principle of “Peaceful Rise” of China makes Chinese less likely to be the next global language.Show less
The study of reduplication in Chinese has received more and more attention in recent years. With the development of modern linguistic theories, scholars have begun investigating Chinese...Show moreThe study of reduplication in Chinese has received more and more attention in recent years. With the development of modern linguistic theories, scholars have begun investigating Chinese reduplication as a phonological or morphological phenomenon instead of a pure rhetorical device. However, traditional epistemology and methodology still takes the dominant position in the study of OC (short for Old Chinese, the same hereafter). Therefore, it is necessary to examine OC reduplication from new perspectives with advanced theory and methodology, as an important part in the study of historical Chinese.Show less
This thesis critically assesses the arguments presented by previous scholars who have claimed for the existence of a Tai-Kadai substratum in Yue. The main focus of falls into two areas, namely...Show moreThis thesis critically assesses the arguments presented by previous scholars who have claimed for the existence of a Tai-Kadai substratum in Yue. The main focus of falls into two areas, namely grammatical and lexical features observable in Yue that are proposed to be linked to an ancient substratum left over by the former non-Sinitic inhabitants of modern-day Southern China. Evidence is considered from a pan-Sinitic and pan-Tai-Kadai perspective. Comparisons are also drawn with Hmong-Mien and Austroasiatic languages, the two other language families that have been linked to the Baiyue. This thesis shows that evidence presented by previous scholars is in most cases far from sufficient, painting a much more complex picture of the development of the features attributed to substratum interference in Yue by previous scholars.Show less
Mandarin Chinese is usually considered a numeral classifier language (Del Gobbo, 2014). According to Allan’s (1977) definition, a numeral classifier is an independent morpheme that “denotes some...Show moreMandarin Chinese is usually considered a numeral classifier language (Del Gobbo, 2014). According to Allan’s (1977) definition, a numeral classifier is an independent morpheme that “denotes some salient perceived or imputed characteristic of the entity to which the associated noun refers” (p. 285). The present study first constructs a categorization of Chinese classifiers, and second, an investigation in the acquisition of Chinese Classifiers for L2 learners. To construct the categorization of Chinese classifiers, I will first provide an overview of the categorizations of Chinese classifiers from previous studies and discuss the primary features of the categorizations provided by Chinese and Western scholars. In general, there is no distinction between measure words and classifiers in the categorizations given by Chinese scholars, while most of the Western categorizations do make the distinction. However, the classifiers that are discussed by Western scholars only represent part of a large system of Chinese classifiers. Based on current categorizations, a revised categorization focusing on Chinese classifiers is carried out. The second part is to explore the acquisition of Chinese Classifiers for L2 learners with the goal of providing some suggestions on teaching and learning Chinese Classifiers that potentially benefits both L2 learners and teachers. First, I will illustrate previous studies of Chinese CLs acquisition for L2 learners in which the difficulties in learning Chinese CLs for L2 learners will also be displayed. Secondly, I will discuss current teaching materials and methods of Chinese CLs. Finally, the revised categorization will be applied in order to propose a more effective approach in teaching and learning Chinese classifiers before the conclusion is addressed.Show less
