A Study Of Chinese Directive Genre:

Based upon Speech Act Theory, the present study proposes that discourse structure is the projection of act structure on language. Specific speech act intention and specific speech act condition compose specific speech act type and each speech act type has its own discourse mode. The discourse mode of speech act type is genre, and hence genre generation is established theoretically. Based on language use, this study focuses on general similarities and differences of different genres. By induction and deduction, it analyzes genre characteristics from three parameters (function type, communicative means and interpersonal style), further analyzes the language components of each parameter and combinational relations of language components, and then tests and revises the results with real data by quantitative, contrastive and other approaches. The present study attempts to explore the feasibility and actual value in comprehensively studying a genre type.The present study consists of seven chapters.The first chapter is introduction. It points out its research question, delimits its research object and scope, briefly explains the concepts of genre and directive genre, introduces the theories applied, and briefly elaborates its research objective, meanings, basic standings and research methodology.The second chapter is literature review of studies on genre at home and abroad. Directive genre is sub-classified under the domain of genre studies, the definition and research methods of the latter govern the study of the former. This chapter outlines the studies on genre abroad from four perspectives, analyzes studies on genre in three stages at home, and comments on major research achievements. It points out remaining problems of previous studies or theoretical hypothesis still to be improved, and determines its direction of study, i.e. to explore genre characteristics, influence of genre characteristics on language use, and at the same time do statistic analysis of genres so as to find out correlation between genre characteristics and language use. Chapter three, four, and five are the core of present study. Chapter three proposes theoretical hypothesis and establishes genre generation theoretically. To be brief, different act intention results in different act mode and hence different speech act type. Each speech act type bears a discourse mode. Discourse mode is reflection of components of speech act on discourse. Each type of speech act discourse is composed of each speech act intention and dispensable elements for accomplishing the intention. The discourse mode is genre, which is the dynamic system composed of certain subject, purpose, mode and result of act, and temporal and special environment. Hence it is inferred that elements of genre is determined by elements of genre act, elements of genre are decomposed into multi-dimensional genre characteristics, and language variation of genre is determined by overall influence of genre characteristics and only demonstrated in specific texts of each genre.Chapter four, with deduction and induction combined, analyzes act mode required to accomplish directive speech act and act mode reflected on language required to accomplish directive speech act.Chapter five, taken typical directive text the Constitution of People’s Republic of China and typical report Government Work Report of National People’s Congress as examples, their genre characteristics and language variation are counted and analyzed comprehensively. The above two texts are chosen and compared because they are both official documents and comparatively embody the feature of subjectivity. By contrastive analysis of these two Chinese texts of different genres, combinational relations of different genres in Chinese language are explored. Chapter five is data test of theories proposed in Chapter three and four.Chapter six is pedagogical application of genre theory proposed in Chapter three and four. Genre theory proposed in the present paper is applied to instruct Chinese sectary major in teaching practical writing of directive genre.Chapter seven is conclusion. It draws a conclusion of the present research, sums up major findings and innovations, points out limitations and underlying weakness, and proposes direction and prospect of further research. The present study on Chinese directive genre bears the following innovations.Firstly, it is innovative in research perspective. With multi-dimensional characteristics to control genre, the present program makes breakthrough of previous genre taxonomy and finds out a new perspective in genre analysis, which opens up a new prospect for genre and grammar research.Secondly, it is innovative in research system. Compositional system of genre is explored. Genre is a complex system. With controlling language variation by combinational relations of characteristics, the variation is patterned. Genre is combination of different language elements in certain way. We can feel its constraint when we use language and hence need to comply with its rules. Proficiency of genre rules will exert direct influence on text writing proficiency.Thirdly, it is innovative in research paradigm. The paper attempts to provide a paradigm which can comprehensively describe a genre type. With directive genre as research sample, starting from function of genre, language and their mutual explanational relations, the paper demonstrates how to comprehensively describe a type of genre and how to uncover compositional elements of certain genre. Besides, it attempts to comprehensively explore typical directive text the Constitution, which can be said as a text paradigm demonstration of genre studies, to present its patterned appearance, and to uncover its compositional "dish".Fourthly, it is an attempt in application of the research. Genre teaching is mainly applied to foreign language writing and teaching Chinese as a foreign language, and its application to mother tongue is insufficient. It is proposed that genre theory should be fully applied to medium and high level (middle school, university, and graduate) of mother tongue teaching. The model of teaching Chinese sectary major in university practical writing is tentatively designed.The present paper on Chinese directive genre is theoretically valuable in general linguistics. On the one hand, languages in the world is universally founded and language use has universal meaning, hence discourse model formed during language use is universally applicable and genre study bears universal meanings. Therefore, the present study enriches accomplishments of genre research. On the other hand, the framework for genre analysis proposed in the present study provides a new research prospect for Chinese genre studies and contributes to Chinese genre studies, little the contribution may be.Lastly, the present study bears some practical value. Study on Chinese directive genre can instruct every walk of life in writing respective directive texts, provide natives and foreigners with writing rules of directive genre, and serve as theoretical reference for teaching directive genre writing. Besides, the present paper tries to provide rules for automatic recognition of genre type and text generation of specific genre by computer.