Sociolinguistic Study Of Pronouns In Modern Chinese

The present thesis piece represents the results of research into the issues of pronouns in modern Chinese in the light of sociolinguistic theory and methodology. Thorough examination of the original language material, derived from everyday communication, let the author find out a number of widespread pronoun variants, work out the questionnaire and further investigate into the chosen data in Harbin, Beijing, Jiamusi, Cicikar and Fuyu county of Heilongjiang province. The results obtained made it possible to analyze275copies of the database and the variables in question. The paper includes introduction, three chapters and conclusion.The introduction sums up the existing research experience of the pronouns scientific study in the past and present, points out the above question information insufficiency in the examined scientific research papers, determines theoretical and methodological princioles of the present thesis paper and expounds its main ideas.The first chapter presents the sociolinguistic distribution of the personal pronoun analysis. The personal pronoun standard variants used in different regions is taken as a basis, however, the use of non-standardized forms of the personal pronoun variants has equitable distribution as well. It has been established that such sociolinguistic factors as birth place, place of residence and duration of living in a certain place exercise the most prominent influence on the personal pronouns choice. It has also been found out that a regional dialect has an enormous influence on the non-standardized personal pronoun variants formation and application; while such factors as gender and educational level have the lowest influence.The second chapter discusses the sociolinguistic factors, which influence the interrogative pronoun variants distribution. Though in real communication the choice of the interrogative pronouns centers around the standard variants, nevertheless, in comparison to personal pronouns, the frequency of different non-standardized dialect variants in interrogative pronouns circulation is much higher. Among the main sociolinguistic factors, which influence the interrogative pronoun variants choice in speech, the following are to be mentioned:age, birth place and place of residence, while such factors as gender, duration of living in the place, profession and educational level have the lowest influence. As for the national minorities, the frequency of non-standardized dialect variants circulation is considerably higher among Han people.The third chapter dwells upon the sociolinguistic factors, which influence the use of the demonstrative pronoun variants distribution. The demonstrative pronoun choice is determined by standard variants, but non-standardized dialect variants have one specific peculiarity:they are high on the types and quantity, but considerably low on frequency of some variants. The demonstrative pronoun variants choice is mainly influenced by the following factors:age, birth place, place of residence and national minority, while such factors as duration of living in the place and educational level exercise the lowest influence.The conclusion summarizes the results elucidated in the previous three chapters and states the findings of the research insufficiency.The value and importance of the present thesis research is to correct deficiency in modern Chinese pronoun study. The results of this work are able to contribute not only to deeper understanding of the pronoun variants choice in real communication, but also to the completion and improvement of the theory in question. Besides, the results of this work can be used in the Chinese Teaching Methodology and Chinese as Foreign Language Teaching Methodology, as well as help to improve students’ communicational skills.