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Article published In: Languages in Contrast
Vol. 19:1 (2019) ► pp.133–161

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Chinese rhetoric

Modality patterns and the question of indirection in written arguments

 | Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Published online: 19 June 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lic.16022.yeu
Abstract
This study investigates the question of Chinese indirection as a result of the use of modality expressions, which is conventionally believed to be the hallmark of Chinese rhetoric (e.g. Young, L. 1994. Crosstalk and Culture in Sino-American Communication. New York: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Bond, M. 1991. Beyond the Chinese Face: Insights from Psychology. Hong Kong; New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Powers, J. and Gong, G. 1994. East Asian Voice and the Expression of Cultural Ethos. In Voice on Voice: Perspectives, Definitions, Inquiry, K. B. Yancey (ed.), 202–225. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). The present research compares and contrasts the degree of assertiveness as reflected in the patterns of modality in two corpora of expert Chinese and English argumentative writing on the same controversial subject. Corpus evidence shows that contrary to expectations, the Chinese writers are significantly more assertive than the English in arguing their case. The frequency of use and distribution patterns of intensifiers present both quantitative and qualitative evidence for the rhetorical differences, which may be accounted for culturally.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Stereotypical image of Chinese indirection
    • 1.2More recent research findings
    • 1.3Research questions
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1Corpora
    • 2.2Operationalization of the concept of modality for data analysis
    • 2.3Computation of data
  • 3.Findings
    • 3.1Relative assertiveness
    • 3.2Use of maximizers
    • 3.3Differences between emphatic nouns in the expert Chinese and English corpora
    • 3.4Qualitative description of distribution patterns of strengtheners versus softeners
      • 3.4.1Interlacing of strengtheners and softeners in English
      • 3.4.2Density pattern of strengtheners in Chinese relative to English
      • 3.4.3Ascending versus descending strength
      • 3.4.4Emotive strategy in Chinese rhetoric
  • 4.Discussion
  • 5.Conclusions
  • References
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