• Language and Information
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.87-105
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• 2001

This paper categorizes currently available theories of focus into two major types a 'discourse structure approach'(DSA) and a 'sentence structure approach'(SSA) The former DSA is intended to refer to a type of approach that analyzes focus only in terms of the discourse structure in which a focused sentence occurs. The alternative semantics approach which is the most widely available theory of focus belongs to this The latter SSA is meant to refer to a type of theory that analyzes focus in terms of sentence-internal structure, This study supports the SSA be revealing some empirical problems of the DSA that arise is analyzing two different kinds of focus, the A-accented focus and the B-accented focus (contrastive topic), and provides a brief sketch of a comprehensive analysis of focus and contrastive topic.

• Language and Information
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-52
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• 2004

This paper attempts to define various notions involving focus and topic found in Korean and also employs phonetic measures to verify the plausibility of those notions that are theoretically argued for. This paper crucially relies on Prince (1981) for the notion of familiarity and its pragmatic significance, and adopts Rooth's (1985) notion of alternative set and utilizes it in the light of pragmatic interpretation. The basic idea of this paper is to decompose the notion alternative set into finer-grained components and to assign various levels of familiarity to those finer components, thereby helping define different kinds of focus and topic according to the properties of those sub-components.

• Language and Information
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2012

-Nun is generally known as a Topic marker in Korean. However, when it is combined with an accent, it is thought to have a different function, which is alleged to indicate 'contrast' (Kuno 1972). Although the fact that -nun marked item generates some kind of 'contrastive meaning' is uncontroversial, what 'contrast(ive)' means is still unclear. In t his paper, I propose that accented -nun generates two types of implicit propositions in addition to its at-issue meaning. A simple sentence has been repeatedly tested in various models in order to see what type of proposition each proposition corresponds to and it has been concluded that one is presupposition and the other is implicature. This tedious-looking test forms the main part of the first-half of this paper. The presupposition is the essential factor for the -nun marked item to obtain the 'contrastive' meaning. Based on the generation of this presupposition, I argue that -nun works as a contrast operator in a sentence. To illustrate -nun's function as a contrast operator forms the latter part of this paper.

• 중국학논총
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• no.68
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• pp.55-73
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• 2020

本文诣在信息结构的观点研究'NP来VP'构式, 探讨了'来'语用层面的功能。本文指出把'来'看作对比焦点的先前研究的片面观点, 在以具体语境为基础, 对'NP来VP'构式进行了信息结构分析。结果发现'来'在不同语境下可以表示对比话题标记, 信息焦点标记, 对比焦点标记等。第一, 在一个语境中某个指示语已经作为话题出现, 然后在后续的语境中'来'附着于这个话题后, 那么此时的'来'有对比话题标记的功能。第二, 整个句子作焦点的, 如'我来介绍一下'中'来'是句子的信息焦点标记。第三, 表示确认焦点的句子里'来'出现在施事成分后, 与句子焦点域中的对比项构成对比, 因此此时的'来'有对比焦点标记功能。

• Journal of Korean language education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.181-219
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to review the functions of {됐어} and {X了} as a discourse marker on different levels, and to examine their similarities and differences. {됐어} has not been widely recognized as a discourse marker in the field of Korean linguistics and Korean language education. Therefore, in order to establish the identity of {됐어} as a discourse marker, the reasons that {됐어} can be regarded as discourse marker were explained prior to the contrastive analysis. As to the method of contrastive analysis for {됐어} and {X了}, they were analyzed on three main dimensions: that is, the textual dimension, the interpersonal dimension, and the metalinguistic dimension in the corpus consisting of scripts of Korean and Chinese sitcoms. The results are as follows. In the textual domain, {됐어} and {X了} have the function of closing the topic in common, while {X了} can indicate a new topic and transmit a topic. In terms of functions in the interpersonal domain, {됐어} and {X了} are commonly used to refuse a partner's proposal or request and to interrupt a partner's speech or action. Furthermore, in the interactional aspect, {됐어} and {X了} performs the function of expressing a response to a preceding utterance and taking the turn of speaking. The difference between them in the interpersonal domain is that {X了} performs the function of correcting a speaker's utterance. In the metalinguistic domain, {됐어} and {X了} are common in that they perform the function of expressing the dissatisfaction of the speaker, showing generosity and making a compromise with the addressee. {X了}'s distinguishing characteristics in this domain is that it can express the attitude of consoling the hearer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Language and Information Conference
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• 1996.02a
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• pp.459-468
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• 1996

• Asia Pacific Journal of Corpus Research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.57-72
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• 2020

This study seeks to add to the current understanding of learners' use of modality in argumentative writing. A learner corpus of argumentative essays on four topics was created and compared to native English speaker data from the International Corpus Network of Asian Learners of English (ICNALE). The relationship between learners' use of modal devices (MDs) and the devices' appearance in the school's curriculum was also examined. The results showed that learners relied on a very narrow range of MDs compared to those in previous studies. The frequency of use of MDs varied based on the topic and did not seem to be driven by cultural factors as has been previously suggested. Learners used more hedges than boosters on all topics, contradicting most previous studies. Curriculum was determined to have a direct correlation with MD use, and other important factors may include perception of topic and overreliance on certain MDs over others (the One-to-One principal). This research implies that learners' perception of topic should be explored further as a variable affecting MD use. Curricula should be designed based on frequency of MD use by English native speakers, and learners should receive instruction that teaches the norms of MD use in academic writing. The methodology used in the study to determine correlations between MD use and the curriculum has a wide range of potential applications in the field of Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.41-55
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• 2003

This paper investigates the tonal patterns of English information structure composed of topic and focus. It has been argued in previous theories that there is a significant relationship between English topic-focus structure and intonation. The English topic is marked with L+H* pitch accent and focus is marked with H* pitch accent. These theories, however, are oversimplified ones since they do not consider the contextual differences of topic and focus. To examine more concrete tonal patterns of English topic and focus, we classified topic into two subcategories of reminding topic and old-information topic. Focus was categorized into three: information focus, contrastive focus, and reference focus. The overall results show that native English speakers are inclined to use both the L+H* and H* pitch accent for the topic and focus of an utterance. We also observe a tendency to deaccentuate the topics given as old information and to mark the topics given as noun phrase with H* pitch accent. As for the intonation of focus, H* pitch accent is the most frequent type of accent, but L+H* also shows a high percentage of implementation especially in the context of correction or contrast.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Cognitive Science Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.186-191
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• 2005

본고에서는 한국어의 부정접속사 ‘-지만(PA)’ 과 ‘아니라(SN)’ 의 화용적 성격을 통해서 초언어적 부정의 특성을 설명하려 한다. Horn(2002)에서 제시된 ‘단언된 것(what is asserted)’ 과 부정접속사 관계를 살펴보고, 이를 통해서 PA는 초언어적 부정에 의해서 대조될 수 없음을 보인다. 그리고 한국어의 대조화제의 부정이 PA접속사와 연결되는 특성을 통해서 대조화제는 외연적 부정만이 가능하다는 것을 밝힌다.