A Dissertation by GRACE HUI-CHIN LIN Submitted to the Office of ...

6. Change intended message in to
a vague expression
Learners change their intended message slightly
rather than abandoning. Learners may reduce
the scope of the message, resulting in rather
general or vague meanings within the context.
A: I encountered a culture shock when I studied in
the US.
B: Culture shock?
A: I was not able to sleep well, eat well, and talk
well because of the different environment. I
don’t know what people are talking about.
Everything is different from where I am from.
Change intended message in to a
vague expression
A: My sister is learning neurology.
B: I remember your sister is studying in a nurse
school.
A: She is learning the neural system in human
body.
B: What?
A: The part in our body that tells us our body
condition by giving us some feelings, such as
pain and ache. ( does not change topic and use
reduced meaning to express the intended
meaning)
Example of semantic reduction:
A: Tell me something you are interested in
Chinese Culture.
B: Mmm..Chinese opera, earthen figures in Chin
Dynasty, and the leather-silhouette show.
A: Leather-silhouette show?
B: A kind of “shadow show” in Chinese drama.
No actor and actress needed. It uses light and
paper figures to demonstrate a story. ( Use
vague concept to express the intended meaning,
that results a vague understanding. The
meaning was expressed not accurately)
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