Chinese Rhetoric and Writing - An Introduction for Language Teachers, 2012a

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Chapter 7 the “so” marker signals the transition to the main point. In other words, the “because” connector is claimed to be signalling these three items: the topic; the whole of a whole-part relationship; and the introduction of one’s case. We have seen earlier that the whole of a whole-part relationship can be classified as topic (see example [5] in the previous chapter). But it seems that the “because” connector that signals the introduction to one’s case can only be signalling a topic, if topic is defined as something that sets the framework in which the rest of the sentence is presented. We propose, therefore, that the “because” connector that introduces one’s case is not signalling a topic but is signalling modifying or subordinate information from which the proposition in the principal clause can be understood, signalled by the “so” connector. In other words, it is signaling what we have earlier called a “frame-main” sequence. We now consider some of Young’s data and examine whether the “because” markers are indeed signalling topics or whether they are signalling subordinate information; and whether the “so” markers are signalling comments or a transition to the main point. Is the sequence one of subordinate/modifier to main/modified rather than one of topic-comment? The data here “comes from an audiotaped role play enacted in Hong Kong as part of a classroom discussion among members of Hong Kong’s police force” (190ff). There are five participants in the role play, one of whom is a white male, a guest speaker to the classroom from the United States. He plays a member of the public. The police, working in pairs, have the task of stopping the American from approaching and going into his office because there has just been a fire in the building. Below are some excerpts. 1(a). American: What’s the matter? This is my office. Chinese: Oh, because this on fire and this area is closed. 1(b). American: Well, can you—can you call the other officer? You call the other officer and tell him that I have to get into my office. Can you do that? Chinese: I’m afraid I can’t do it. I’m afraid.... Chinese: Or... or we suggest you uh.... Because it is by the court order closed it, Close it by court order. 1(c). American: But uh I have to find out what happened to my office. Uh, I—I’ve got to get in there. 126
Principles of Sequencing and Rhetorical Organisation Chinese: Uh, I’m sorry uh because this cl—this building is closed by court order uh I can’t help you. 1(d). American: But why... why can’t... I just want to go into my office. I have some important papers there. Chinese: I’m sorry. Because the building is in a dangerous American: Well... Chinese: Nobody allowed to enter the building. In her analysis of the data, Young suggests that the Chinese police officers are transferring their native discourse patterns into English. While this is certainly true, it is hard to argue that the utterances of the Chinese police are following a topiccomment structure when topic is defined as what the sentence is about. What all these “because” initial clauses are doing is setting a framework within which to present the main point the sentence or the principal clause of the sentence. Each of these “because” sentences provides information that will help to explain the information in the principal clause. The information presented by the Chinese police follows, therefore, a sequence that moves from subordinate to main or from frame to main. Thus they follow the principles of logical or natural rhetorical organisation identified earlier. What appears to be confusing the American is that he is expecting the information to follow a sequence which he is more familiar with in this context and which would be from main to subordinate. He is expecting a salient order in which the main or most important part of the message is presented first. In other words, the American might have been more prepared to accept what the police were saying had they sequenced their information in the following way, where the “because” clauses is placed after the main clause: Chinese: This area is closed because there has been a fire Chinese: (You can’t go in I’m afraid) because the building is closed by court order. Chinese: I’m sorry I can’t help you because this building is closed by court order. Chinese: I’m sorry, nobody is allowed to enter the building because the building is in a dangerous condition. 127
Page 1:
CHINESE RHETORIC AND WRITING AN INT
Page 4 and 5:
PERSPECTIVES ON WRITING Series Edit
Page 6 and 7:
The WAC Clearinghouse, Fort Collins
Page 9:
CHINESE RHETORIC AND WRITING: AN IN
Page 12 and 13:
Introduction that there are more sp
Page 14 and 15:
Introduction in Beijing, where he a
Page 16 and 17:
Introduction Chapter 1 also demonst
Page 18 and 19:
Introduction common, along with the
Page 20 and 21:
12
Page 22 and 23:
Chapter 1 called various branches o
Page 24 and 25:
Chapter 1 plea, or speech, into eit
Page 26 and 27:
Chapter 1 the temple and the hall,
Page 28 and 29:
Chapter 1 were used to successively
Page 30 and 31:
Chapter 1 from Emperor to subject,
Page 32 and 33:
Chapter 1 getting confused, who soa
Page 34 and 35:
Chapter 1 similarities of the advic
Page 36 and 37:
Chapter 1 to create an environment
Page 39 and 40:
2 THE LITERARY BACKGROUND AND RHETO
Page 41 and 42:
Literary Background and Rhetorical
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
3 THE RULES OF WRITING 9 IN MEDIEVA
Page 61 and 62:
The Rules of Writing In Medieval Ch
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81:
Page 84 and 85: Chapter 4 we shall argue, using con
Page 86 and 87: Chapter 4 The baguwen has been call
Page 88 and 89: Chapter 4 The Baguwen: A Traditiona
Page 90 and 91: Chapter 4 Way at the right time; th
Page 92 and 93: Chapter 4 pianwen and guwen styles.
Page 94 and 95: Chapter 4 he has written himself in
Page 96 and 97: Chapter 4 Links between a computer
Page 98 and 99: Chapter 4 What is of greatest inter
Page 101 and 102: 5 SHUYUAN AND CHINESE WRITING TRAIN
Page 103 and 104: Shuyuan and Chinese Writing Trainin
Page 115 and 116: 6 PRINCIPLES OF SEQUENCING AND RHET
Page 117 and 118: Principles of Sequencing and Rhetor
Page 131: Principles of Sequencing and Rhetor
Page 136 and 137: Chapter 7 So, while we agree with Y
Page 138 and 139: Chapter 7 The second extract, (3),
Page 140 and 141: Chapter 7 it would have been possib
Page 142 and 143: Chapter 7 6. now thus (yinci) I not
Page 144 and 145: Chapter 7 “therefore” marker ei
Page 146 and 147: Chapter 7 Hitler gain power as happ
Page 148 and 149: Chapter 7 Inductive-Deductive Reaso
Page 150 and 151: Chapter 7 We have also argued that
Page 152 and 153: Chapter 8 “politically active lit
Page 154 and 155: Chapter 8 as a reference for the pa
Page 156 and 157: Chapter 8 Augustine (On Christian D
Page 158 and 159: Chapter 8 democratisation of the Un
Page 160 and 161: Chapter 8 virtually abandoned “in
Page 162 and 163: Chapter 8 everlasting truth. Dewey
Page 164 and 165: Chapter 8 We now turn to briefly re
Page 166 and 167: Chapter 8 Was BE an imperialist con
Page 168 and 169: Chapter 8 Wang defines double-faced
Page 171 and 172: 9 PARTY POLITICS, THE CULTURAL REVO
Page 173 and 174: Party Politics, the Cultural Revolu
Page 185 and 186:
Party Politics, the Cultural Revolu
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195:
Page 198 and 199:
Chapter 10 UNIVERSITY WRITING COURS
Page 200 and 201:
Chapter 10 “explaining, expoundin
Page 202 and 203:
Chapter 10 but a weak and incompati
Page 204 and 205:
Chapter 10 writing process, for exa
Page 206 and 207:
Chapter 10 and task for 2000 was a
Page 208 and 209:
Chapter 10 writing compositions] is
Page 210 and 211:
Chapter 10 common for non-Chinese m
Page 212 and 213:
Conclusion BECAUSE x n +THEREFORE x
Page 214 and 215:
Conclusion current lack of an accep
Page 216 and 217:
Works Cited Chafe, Wallace L. “Gi
Page 218 and 219:
Works Cited “Four Examination Ess
Page 220 and 221:
Works Cited Kirkpatrick, Andy. “A
Page 222 and 223:
Works Cited Ma, Zhengping. Advanced
Page 224 and 225:
Works Cited Sun, Shaozhen. “Prefa
Page 226 and 227:
Works Cited Yang, Ling, and David C
Page 229 and 230:
NOTES This chronological division
Page 231:
Chinese Rhetoric and Writing (biogr
show all

Chinese Rhetoric and Writing - An Introduction for Language Teachers, 2012a

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?