A STUDY OF THE FORMS OF DIRECT ADDRESS USED BY CONTEMPORARY CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN COMMUNICATION WITH COLLEGE TEACHERS

Abstract

Language is a mirror of society. Forms of direct address, and specifically the most frequently used communication formulas which have been studied for quite a long time, reflect the changes and development of the country’s politics, economy and culture. Alongside the development of information technology and other changes of modern times, Chinese social communication conditions are also constantly changing. Under the trend of diversification, the contemporary Chinese college students are deeply influenced by the mass media. Most of them are open-minded and sociable. They are not rigid in using the traditional terms of address in interpersonal communication. This paper studies full-time students of Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages, China. The author uses questionnaires and statistical analysis to find out how the contemporary Chinese college students address college teachers and how well they know the traditional forms of direct address. The questionnaire showed that the choice of the forms of direct address largely depends on the social status of the interlocutor and the teacher-student relationships; and the students’ realization of the importance of using the traditional forms of address vary greatly.