A Study Of Redundant Information Based On Adaptation Theory

The present study focuses on the use of redundant information in an attempt to explain the adaptability of the phenomenon. It belongs to a qualitative study based on the data collected from literary works, TV series and programs, etc. The conceptual framework is constructed on the basis of Jef Verschueren's (1999) Linguistic Adaptation Theory. The investigation concentrates on the variability, adaptability and functionality of redundant information.Redundant information is a pervasive language phenomenon in our routine conversations. It is an inseparable part of language use. With the support of affluent linguistic evidence and the Linguistic Adaptation theory, the author of this paper holds that redundant information is not only a linguistic reality but also a communicative necessity in many cases. It is different from wordiness or superfluous information in that the former is necessary, meaningful, while the latter is unnecessary and meaningless. Therefore, in the present study, the use of redundant information is viewed as a communicative strategy and termed as"Redundant Information Strategy."According to Linguistic Adaptation Theory, using language is the continuous making of linguistic choices, which can be situated at any level of linguistic form: phonetic/phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic. And a slight change in any of these levels can cause great difference in pragmatic meaning. Redundant information is essentially one of the embodiments of the choice of linguistic forms. Then, why do people choose to use redundant information strategy in a certain context? The discussion of the adaptive process gave us the answer. It is found that redundant information strategy is employed by the communicators to realize their communicative goals and redundant information, as a linguistic choice, is the result of adaptation to context.The present study of redundant information can not only deepen our understanding of the language phenomenon, but also shed more light on further studies. More importantly, it may guide people's language use in communication.