Acta Linguistica Academica
Volume/Issue:
Volume 66: Issue 2
The practice and perception of unexpected topic switching in Mandarin Chinese
Author:
Weihua Zhu University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Pages:
165–188
Online Publication Date:
Jun 2019
Publication Date:
01 Jun 2019
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/2062.2019.66.2.2
Keywords:
practice; perception; moral order; topic switching; Chinese
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Abstract

In this paper, I combine a model of context, practice, and perception with a discursive-interactional approach to investigate the moral order of the practice and perception of unexpected topic switching in the context of everyday communication in mainland China, using data derived from recorded mundane conversations in Mandarin and playback with native Chinese speakers. Results show that the speakers initiate, react to, and perceive unexpected topic switching as a part of appropriate interactional norms. The analyst understandings, participant understandings, and metaparticipant understandings that I uncover indicate the influence of the sociocultural context, interactional context, and personal context on the practice and perception of unexpected topic switching.

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Acta Linguistica Academica
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