• Language and Information
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-26
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• 2004

This paper investigates the nature of the discourse domain involved with focus sentences. The major theories of focus including Roothian Alternative Semantics are critically reviewed: Alternative Semantics takes a contradictory attitude toward the truth conditional aspect of free focus. The truth conditional differences are treated as a pragmatic inference, while they are captured by the semantic mechanism, that is, the alternative sets generated by focus constructions. In addition, the alternative sets are ad hoc since they are generated only for focus constructions. This paper attempts to show that the alternative sets introduced by foci in the framework of Alternative Semantics are neither necessary nor sufficient for an analysis of focus. It is argued that the domain sets simply provided by the model itself suffices for a proper analysis of focus constructions.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.187-200
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• 2002

The purpose of the present study is to see in terms of $F_{0}$ variation in Japanese how discourse focus and the lexical word accent interact with each other in realizing overall intonation patterns. Discourse focus causes prosodic restructuring of phrase structures and, as a result, largely affects pitch contours, whereas the lexical word accent is said to delimit the $F_{0}$ into a certain range. Measurement of $F_{0}$ was made of utterances of Japanese sentences to observe behavior of pitch contours with varied focus assignment and lexical accent specifications. The utterances were obtained in question-answer discourse contexts so that in a sentence, either one NP was always focused or no focus was assigned. I set four points for $F_{0}$ measurement; $F_{1s},F_{1m}, F_{2s}$, and $F_{2m}$, two for each noun phrase corresponding to $F_{0}$ at the beginning of the first syllable and that of the vocalic portion of the second syllable in the two NP's. The results of present study were as follows: (1) for all combination of lexical accent types, the $F_{0}$ rise both in NP1 and NP2 are higher when focused than when not focused. (2) NP2 starts a new accentual phrase when focused, showing even higher $F_{0}$ than NP1, the latter of which implies that in forming a new accentual phrase by focusing, catathesis does not seem to take effect on NP2 preceded by accented NP1. (3) unfocused NP2 preceded by unaccented NP1 has higher $F_{0}$ than those preceded by accented NP1.

• Language and Information
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.1-27
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• 2009

This paper examines the (a)symmetries in the realization of focused subjects and objects in Korean. Through rating experiments, we demonstrate that native speakers' judgments of acceptability of sentences containing case-marked or case-ellipsed subjects and objects are sensitive to the contrastiveness strength and the discourse accessibility of focused arguments. However, our experiments also show that focused subjects exhibit stronger preference for explicit case marking over case ellipsis and that contrastiveness strength and discourse accessibility have weaker influence on the case marking and ellipsis of focused subjects compared to focused objects. We propose an account of variable case marking that is capable of subsuming both the similarities and differences between focused subjects and objects under the universal theory of markedness. In particular, it is shown that the similarities between focused subjects and objects are predicted by the proposed account based on the contrastiveness strength and the discourse accessibility of focused arguments and that the differences between focused subjects and objects follow naturally from the relative markedness of focus as subjects.

• 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.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.19-28
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• 2013

This paper, based on a qualitative ethnographic study among college of education students, examines the online interactional processes surrounding academic discourse socialization. Data for this paper come from a larger study of an academic classroom community of graduate students and their instructor. In this study, I looked into the ways computer-mediated communication (CMC) contexts factor into graduate students' academic literacy experience in a graduate classroom, therein enculturating them into their new academic community. I focus on cases of nonnative graduate students in a content course in the department of educational psychology at a large southwestern university in the U.S. I explore the agency of the focal participants in terms of the roles they played in the classroom discourse highlighting the dialectical and interactional perspective of academic discourse socialization. This paper focused on the construction of varied participant roles of the focal students. It further examines student reactions and responses to these constructions during synchronous CMC activity.

• 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.29 no.4
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• pp.137-168
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to prepare the basis for a more objective evaluation of oral fluency by comparing speech patterns of Korean native speakers and L2 Korean learners. For this purpose, the current study focused on the analysis of speech materials of the 21st century Sejong spoken corpus and Korean learner corpus. We compared the oral fluency of Korean native speakers and Korean learners based on speech rate, pause, and discourse markers. The results show that the pattern of Korean learners is different to that of Korean native speakers in all aspects of speech rate, pause, and discourse markers; even though proficiency of Korean leaners show increase, they could not reach the oral fluency level of Korean native speakers. At last, based on these results of the analysis, we added suggestions for setting the evaluation criteria of oral fluency of Korean learners.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.273-286
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze the teacher's discourse structure in the process of solving mathematics problems based on the communication between teachers and students. To achieve this goal, we observed a semester class by a teacher with experience who practiced a teaching method that creates mathematical meanings based on students' participation in class. In order to solve problems based on the participation of students in each class, the similarities between the processes of creating the structure of the discourse were analyzed. As a result of the analysis, the teacher was able to focus on the goal in the process of starting a discourse, and in the process of developing the discourse, the problem was solved by focusing on understanding the problem. In the process of arranging the discourse, the problem-solving process and the core of the result is summarized. Based on the possibility of generalization of the teacher discourse structure, it will be able to provide practical help in the process of implementing a teaching method that solves mathematics problems by communicating with students in the future.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.164-180
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• 2024

In the context of a globalized society where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) have emerged as pivotal values, the fashion industry is undergoing scrutiny for its practices related to body DE&I. This study examines the nature of the discourse surrounding body DE&I within the fashion industry, focusing on how such discussions are shaped, disseminated, and manifested in both the industry and broader society. Critical discourse analysis is applied by utilizing, content from the New York Times and leveraging Fairclough's analytical framework encompassing textual, discursive, and social practices. The findings indicate that the New York Times emphasizes diversity, with a significant focus on the shapes and sizes of women's bodies, developing a narrative centered around women's bodies through visible and representative domains. The analysis suggests conflicted discourse, with prevailing critiques against the fashion industry's standardization of beauty and superficial inclusivity efforts. Moreover, the industry's adaptation to social demands for body DE&I is observed as sporadic, often leveraging non-normative bodies as a marketing strategy rather than genuinely embracing diversity. This study highlights the importance of continuous, in-depth discourse and social practices regarding DE&I within the fashion industry, as well as the need for systemic changes and policies that genuinely reflect societal demands for inclusivity. The findings provide a foundation for future investigations into the multifaceted relationship between fashion discourse, DE&I, and social practices, advocating for a more inclusive and critically aware fashion industry.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.169-198
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• 2019

This study focused on the increase in refugee-related discourse in Korean society with the recent inflow of asylum seekers to Jeju Island. The purpose of our study was to understand the trends in public opinion concerning the acceptance of refugees by analyzing the content of refugee-related video commentary on YouTube. Topic modeling was conducted to analyze the main points, context, and ideas in the comments. The results indicated that the media mainly focus on the pros and cons of refugees, restricting the refugee issue to the problem of acceptance with a narrow focus on the case of Jeju Island. Refugee acceptance was treated as overwhelmingly unacceptable in the comments. We found that commenters often used negative discourse in the comments as a device for reproducing and amplifying hate speech.