Other-repetition in Mandarin child language: A discourse-pragmatic perspective

• Published in: Journal of pragmatics Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 825 - 839
• Main Author: Huang, Chiung-chih
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Child Language; Conversation; Descriptive studies and applied theories; Imitation; Linguistics; Mandarin; Mandarin Chinese; Parents; Pragmatics; Repetition; Semantics and pragmatics; Semantics Discourse Relationship; Child language; Mandarin Chinese; Repetition; Imitation; Chinese; Mandarin; Pragmatics
• ISSN: 0378-2166; 1879-1387
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pragma.2009.08.005

This study investigated the forms and functions of other-repetition in Mandarin child discourse from a discourse-pragmatic perspective. The subjects of this study were two Mandarin-speaking 2-year-olds. The data included 6 h of natural parent–child conversation. A broader definition of repetition was adopted: repetition can be exact, reduced, modified, or expanded. The findings support the contention that not all other-repetitions are imitations ( Ochs Keenan, 1977). It was found that the children used the different forms of repetition to perform a variety of communicative functions such as imitation, answering an information question, showing agreement/confirmation, showing denial/rejection, or providing expansion. Thus, the children's other-repetitions are not constructed at random. It is concluded that other-repetition often reflects the children's competence and not their incompetence as communicators.