A welcome book which provides a wealth of data and potentially interesting ideas on <i>some </i>which can be used to help linguists and language teachers understand the differences between different L1 and L2 groups. It prompts questions about whether <i>some </i>is a device that L2 speakers use to avoid more complex and linguistically demanding explanations or whether they use some to cover gaps in their lexical stores.

Journal of Pragmatics

The book reveals the elasticity of 'some' in language communication and the importance of Elasticity Theory in the studies of vague languages by the corpus-based linguistic and pragmatic approaches to the elasticity of 'some' in English uses in three different cultural/educational settings. It fills the gap in the existing literature by bringing new insights to the study of some and beyond.

- Wu Shixiong, Professor of Linguistics, Fujian Teachers University, China.,

Solidly grounded in a mixed-methods approach in its research design, Nhu Nguyet Le and Grace Qiao Zhang’s book provides a wealth of insight into how the vague item ‘some’ is used by both American English speakers as well as Chinese and Vietnamese learners of English. Drawing on insight from Grace Zhang’s intellectually stimulating theory of ‘vague language elasticity’, the book throws light on how ‘some’ can be used in pragmatically elastic ways by culturally diverse interactants. If you are researching vague language use, Le and Zhang’s book has a lot to offer.

- Vahid Parvaresh, Lecturer in Linguistics, Anglia Ruskin University, UK,

Se alle

By a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative approaches to the mixed resources of the vague word <i>some</i>, Nhu Nguyet Le and Grace Qiao Zhang are making their further contribution to the elasticity of natural languages. If you are in any way concerned with demystifying how human beings configure the world and communicate it economically, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

- Robin Hongshen Zhang, Deputy Dean of School of Humanities, Fujian University of Technology, China,

This impressive and engaging book by Nhu Nguyet Le and Grace Qiao Zhang is the first to provide a systematic and comprehensive analysis of <i>some</i> through the fresh elasticity theory. The authors look at the versatile pragmatic functions as well as lexical and syntactic roles this vague item performs in spoken educational contexts. Adopting a mixed-methods approach for the readers’ profound understanding of the functions of <i>some</i> in L1 versus L2, this insightful book can serve an invaluable resource for all involved in pragmatics and intercultural communication.

Peyman G.P. Sabet, ESL teaching academic, Curtin University, Australia

In Vague Language, Elasticity Theory and the Use of ‘Some’, Nguyet Nhu Le and Grace Qiao Zhang present the first comprehensive study of the word ‘some’, focusing on its elasticity. In particular, they consider how ‘some’ is both a quantifier and a qualifier, has positive or negative meanings, and has local and global interpretations. They show that the word is used across a meaning continuum and can be used to convey a range of states, including approximation, uncertainty, politeness, and evasion. Finally, they demonstrate that the functions of ‘some’ are also multi-directional and non-categorical, consisting of four major functions (right amount of information, mitigation, withholding information, and discourse management). Based on naturally-occurring classroom data of L1 (American English) and L2 (Chinese- and Vietnamese-speaking learners of English) speakers, Vague Language shows that L2 speakers used ‘some’ more than L1 speakers and explores the significance of this, particularly taking account of speakers’ language ability and cultural backgrounds. While this book focuses on the single word ‘some’, the authors’ discussion has important implications for language studies more generally, as they call for a rethinking of our approaches to language study and more attention to its elasticity.
Les mer
1. Introduction 2. Theoretical Foundations 3. Methodology 4. ‘Some’ and ‘Some’ Clusters 5. Pragmatic Functions of ‘Some’ 6. General Discussion 7. Conclusions and Implications Bibliography Index
A welcome book which provides a wealth of data and potentially interesting ideas on some which can be used to help linguists and language teachers understand the differences between different L1 and L2 groups. It prompts questions about whether some is a device that L2 speakers use to avoid more complex and linguistically demanding explanations or whether they use some to cover gaps in their lexical stores.
Les mer
Based on cross-cultural data in educational settings, this book explores elasticity in language, focussing on the use of the word ‘some’.
Renews attention on how the teaching of elastic language can improve the language competence of L2 learners

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781350029590
Publisert
2018-06-28
Utgiver
Vendor
Bloomsbury Academic
Vekt
460 gr
Høyde
234 mm
Bredde
156 mm
Aldersnivå
U, 05
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
216

Om bidragsyterne

Grace Qiao Zhang is an Associate Professor at Curtin University, Australia. She was awarded a Ph.D. in Linguistics by the University of Edinburgh, UK. She has published extensively on linguistics and Chinese linguistics. Nhu Nguyet Le has a PhD in Linguistics from Curtin University, Australia and is a researcher in vague language.