Reformulation Markers Research Articles

Reformulation Markers in Spanish and Korean: An Intercultural Rhetoric Study

The aim of this paper is to investigate the use of Spanish and Korean reformulation markers against the backdrop of a contrastive / intercultural rhetoric approach (Kaplan, 1966; Hinds, 1987; Clyne, 1994; Connor, 2008, 2011). In order to carry out the analysis, following a line of previous research papers in Murillo (2007, 2012), an empirical study using Spanish and Korean journalistic corpus was performed. The results obtained demonstrate significant disparity between the use of Spanish and Korean RMs when approached from a linguistic-intercultural rhetoric perspective, more specifically as to the use of double reformulation -the repetition of the Korean markers (jeuk… jeuk… / got… got…)-, some particular rhetorical patterns of the Korean marker got, denoting its cultural idiosyncrasy, and the discourse processes, such as ‘definition’, ‘denomination’, and ‘conclusion’, utilizing the selected markers in the two languages.

Reformulation markers in the linguistic educated norm in Seville: Analysis from a longitudinal perspective

Reformulation markers in the linguistic educated norm in Seville: Analysis from a longitudinal perspective

Reformulation markers in the educated speech of Caracas and Havana

Reformulation markers in the educated speech of Caracas and Havana

Measuring reformulation through eye-tracking. The role of reformulation markers in establishing reformulation: an experimental approach

This paper builds on the notion of reformulation as a category which can be distinguished from other closer functions (paraphrase, conclusion, correction) (Pons Bordería, 2013, 2017). In particular, it focuses on the relationship between reformulation and reformulation markers in Spanish. On the basis of previous theoretical works (Rossari, 1990, 1994), it is argued that paraphrases can be produced and assimilated without any discourse marker since they are based on equivalence, while reformulation involves some degree of distance which can only be highlighted (even established) by using reformulation markers (e.g., Sp. o sea, es decir‘that is’). Experimental results obtained from eye-trackingexperiments (Rayner, 1998, 2009) show that reformulation can be produced with or without reformulation markers; their presence facilitates its assimilation throughout the whole reading, but its absence does not affect the complete processing. Eye-tracking experiments are based on the eye-mind hypothesis (Just y Carpenter, 1980), by which ocular movements produced when contents are observed reveal how information is being cognitively processed. Eye-tracking data allow thus for completing theoretical ideas and hypotheses from a new dimension offering qualitative and quantitative results (Noveck y Sperber, 2004).

Reformulation Markers in Non-initial Position in Written English and Spanish

This article presents a contrastive analysis of non-initial positions (less common and, therefore, marked) of explanatory reformulation markers in written language in English and Spanish, in relation to their discursive uses. To carry out this analysis, the cases of these markers found in a comparable English-Spanish corpus (Cobuild and CREA) are analyzed. Four positions are established, initial, intermediate, final and independent (Pons 2014), and the results of the non-initial positions are related to the different discursive uses of these markers (Murillo 2012, 2016a, 2016b), taking into account their reformulative and modal uses. The results reveal that the markers in English —particularly that is, but also in other words— display more mobility than those in Spanish —the only one having some mobility is o sea. In addition, regarding their discursive uses, the analysis of the corpus reveals that the markers follow different trends in the two languages.

To Put It Differently: A Cross-Disciplinary Investigation of Reformulation Markers in Student Essays

ABSTRACT This study examined the forms and functions of reformulation markers (RMs) in the three disciplines of philosophy, economics, and biology to see whether there is any disciplinary variation regarding these linguistic devices and their functions in essays written by undergraduate students. To this purpose, two corpora of university students’ essays were prepared using Michigan Corpus of Upper-level Student Essays and Sketch Engine. The functions of RMs were examined based on an established framework. Moreover, two further functions, clarification and exemplification, also emerged out of the data. The findings of this corpus-based study revealed that essays written in economics contained the highest frequency of RMs. As for the functions, the macro-function related to the interpretation of explicit meaning was the most common in all three disciplines. The baseline comparison revealed that reformulation is used almost similarly by the students for whom English is a native language and those for whom English is a second language: however, some remarkable differences existed with the way first-year students use RMs.

The Differential Use of Reformulation Markers in Three Sub-corpora: L1 English, L2 English, and L1 Persian

Given that reformulation is an integral component of scientific texts in which the explanation of terms and ideas is prevalent (Candel, 1984; Thoiron & Bejoint, 1991), this study aims at examining the form, frequency, and function of reformulation markers in three sub-corpora, namely, L1 English, L2 English, and L1 Persian research articles of psychology. The study is based on a corpus of 60 research articles amounting to a total size of 1,105,433 words. Drawing on the list of reformulation markers provided in Hyland (2005) in the case of English sub-corpora and a list of Persian reformulation markers prepared by three experts in the Persian language, we searched the corpus automatically for all the instances of reformulation markers. In the next step, all the instances were examined in their textual context in order to identify their function. The results indicated that L1 English sub-corpus contains the highest frequency of reformulation markers followed by L2 English and finally L1 Persian. There were also differences with regard to forms and functions, as well as parenthetical uses of reformulation markers across the three sub-corpora, specifically between L1 English and L1 Persian, suggesting the existence of intercultural variation in the use of reformulation. Besides, Iranian researchers writing in L2 English tend to adapt their writing style to the norms and conventions of English at least as far as reformulation is concerned. The study concludes with some implications for EAP writing and teaching.

Investigating the linguistic representativeness of Early Modern Greek Corpora

Following a poorly documented period in the history of vernacular Greek (6th-12th c.), the late 15th century sets the beginning of a linguistic era characterized by a quantitatively and qualitatively incomparable production of prose texts written in “common” language. It is at this point that classicizing Greek stops dominating in writing, and a new linguistic variety – albeit a very diverse and fluid one – Early Modern Greek (EMG) starts growing rapidly as a literacy language. The development of this new variety is manifested in its widespread use as literary language (in texts with aesthetic function), as well as in its use as a simple scripta, namely a written vernacular for legal, administrative, commercial, and other functions. Despite its significance in the history of Greek, this period remains to a large extent unexplored and underrepresented in Greek language corpora. On this view, our understanding of EMG depends crucially on the representativeness of the few available corpora. The aim of this paper is to investigate the linguistic representativeness of EMG corpora, and to explore possible associations between observed linguistic patterns and corpora design. Focusing on the distribution of contrastive and reformulation markers, our study reveals that the linguistic data illustrated in the available EMG corpora are divergent and largely dependent on the representation of variables, such as text form (poetry/prose), period, geographical region, and genre

Metadiscursive Activities in Oral Discourse Production in L2 French: A Study on Learner Profiles

This study explores the use of discourse markers (DMs) in metadiscursive activities such as word searches, repairs or metalinguistic evaluations that occur during spontaneous oral production. The analysis is based on a corpus of telephone conversations between advanced learners and native speakers of French and draws on functional as well as on interactional work on DM. In a first step, three selected learner profiles provide insight, by means of sequence analysis, into how individual learners make use of their particular DM inventory for their utterance planning, carrying out repairs and expressing attitudes toward their oral production. In a second step, the study compares native and non-native speaker’s DM inventories in order to detect general tendencies in the learners’ DM use that differ from the native speakers’ use of DMs. The comparison of the profiles shows that, even if there is relatively little agreement among the learners regarding the concrete lexical forms of the DMs, similarities can be discerned regarding the interlinguistic characteristics (e.g. individual preferences and overuse in the form of “lexical teddy bears” such as oui, alors or voilà, underuse of typical French reformulation markers like enfin, and weak routine in the lexicalisation of metadiscursive comments).

Reformulation markers in academic discourse

Using quantitative and qualitative approaches alongside contrastive analysis, this paper investigates distribution frequency and functions of reformulation markers employed in academic discourse in two languages (English and Lithuanian) and three science fields (humanities, medicine, technology). The English language data is taken from the academic language sub-corpus of the Corpus of Contemporary American English, while the Lithuanian language data comes from the Corpus Academicum Lithuanicum, a specialised synchronic corpus of written academic Lithuanian. The results show that it is the humanities scholars who employ reformulation markers most frequently in both languages. They also employ a wider range of reformulation markers and use them in more diverse ways than scholars in the hard fields. The most frequent function of reformulation markers irrespective of language and science field is the interpretation of explicit content. The analysis highlights the importance of the discipline and genre in the distribution and use of reformulation markers.

A Corpus-Based Study of Reformulation Markers: The Case of Native versus Non-Native Research Articles

This study presents a corpus-based study of reformulation markers as a common metadiscourse device in research articles of applied linguistics by native and Iranian non-native writers. Toward this end, qualitative and quantitative analyses of reformulation devices were conducted. The corpora were compiled by downloading articles from academic journals which were selected via convenience sampling. Each corpus included approximately one million words. All the analyses were conducted through employing Murillo’s (2004, 2007) classification which consists of three broad categories: explicit meaning functions (identification, specification, and explanation), conceptual meaning functions (definition and denomination), and implicit meaning functions (conclusion and mathematical operation). After analyzing the data, Chi-square tests were performed to determine whether the results found in the analysis were statistically significant. The results revealed that there were differences between the functions of reformulation markers (RMs) across research articles written by native and non-native writers. In particular, they differ in terms of their types and functions, where non-native writers of applied linguistics research articles (RAs) use RMs much more frequently than native writers of applied linguistics. In light of the findings, recommendations are made for EAP classes as well.

A Corpus-based Study of Reformulation Markers across Different Disciplines

This study presents a corpus-based study of reformulation markers as a common metadiscourse device in research articles of three different disciplines, namely, applied linguistics, computer engineering, and physics. Toward this end, qualitative and quantitative analyses of reformulation devices were conducted. Three sub-corpora were compiled by downloading articles from academic journals of each discipline selected via convenience sampling. Each corpus included approximately one million words. All the analyses were conducted through employing Murillo’s (2004, 2007) classification which consists of three broad categories: explicit meaning functions (identification, specification, and explanation), conceptual meaning functions (definition and denomination), and implicit meaning functions (conclusion and mathematical operation). Chi-square tests were performed to determine whether the results found in the analysis were statistically significant. The results revealed that there were differences between the functions of reformulation markers (RMs) across different disciplines. In particular, the three disciplines differ in terms of their types, and functions, and writers of physics research articles (RAs) use RMs much more frequently than writers of applied linguistics and computer engineering RAs. In light of the findings, recommendations are made for EAP classes.

Le moyen français - une langue en quête de précision : le cas des connecteurs de reformulation

This study is devoted to the workings of reformulation markers in Middle French, looked at based on a body comprising narrative texts and explanatory and argumentative texts (scientific discourses,...

“In Other Words, …”: A Corpus-based Study of Reformulation in Judicial Discourse

The language of the law has been a favourite subject of investigation for both legal professionals and linguists for more than a decade now. Linguists, for instance, have paid increasing attention to the interplay of precise and flexible terms in legal drafting, and language variation across the genres of legal discourse. Among the latter, judgments have been discussed as a case in point by argumentation scholars, although the linguistic components of judicial argumentative discourse have often been overlooked. In the light of this, the aim of this paper is to carry out a corpus-based analysis of the open-ended category of reformulation markers as outstanding discursive items of judicial discourse in two comparable corpora of authentic judgments issued by two different courts of last resort, namely the Court of Justice of the European Communities and Ireland’s Supreme Court. By combining a qualitative with a quantitative analysis, the study shows that reformulation markers tend to activate a variety of discursive configurations across the two courts. Hence, data reveal that reformulation strengthens the quality of both judicial narrative, as it were – as is clear from its deployment in clarifying the normative background and specifying the factual framework of disputes – and at once judicial argument, when judges characterise, refine or grade reported arguments/interpretations or they wish to make their reasoning more solid and convincing.

Reformulation markers and their functions: Two case studies from Italian

This article aims to investigate the uses of two Italian reformulation markers (henceforth RMs) that have recently developed a range of functions that go beyond their core reformulating function. The two markers in question are nel senso (lit. ‘in the sense’) and voglio dire (lit. ‘I want to say’, i.e. ‘I mean’). Both expressions display other uses in which reformulation is not at stake (e.g. inviting the hearer to draw common-knowledge inferences connected to a given assertion, boosting criticisms in confrontational discourse, introducing a new discourse unit, resuming a given topic, modulating the illocutionary force of the preceding utterance, etc.). The study is based on two spoken corpora collected at a certain time distance from one another (early 1990s and 2006). The diachronic perspective adopted in this paper enables us to track the changes in meaning that the two RMs under scrutiny are undergoing in present-day Italian. The results of the investigation confirm that the various non-reformulating functions of nel senso and voglio dire appear to be connected in various ways to their original reformulating function, and that their reinterpretation is generally fostered by the double discourse-deictic nature of reformulation. The utterance- or turn-final functions of the two markers, for instance, arise from the backward-pointing component of reformulation: in these cases, nel senso and voglio dire forewarn the hearer that a reformulation of what has been said is to be expected, even if it is not overt, and thus the hearer can either assume that the speaker was too blunt in his/her formulation (thus leading to a hedging function), or that he/she had more to say about the topic but has decided not to do so, because this is part of common knowledge (thus leading to an insinuating function). Similarly, the utterance- or turn-initial functions of nel senso and voglio dire (introduction of a new discourse unit, resumption of an old topic) capitalize on the fact that both markers, when used as RMs, may refocus on some specific parts of the first segment, especially when the reformulation introduces a new perspective on what has been said before.

Italian discourse markers in language contact situations. The case of reformulation markers

L’article investiga el comportament d’una subclasse dels marcadors del discurs, els indicadors de reformulacio, en una situacio de contacte linguistic especifica, la Val di Fassa (Trentino Alto-Adige), en la qual els parlants tenen a la seva disposicio un repertori bilingue italia-lladi. L’estudi dels marcadors del discurs en la conversa bilingue, gracies a les estrategies emprades pels parlants en aquests contextos, permet d’analitzar-ne de manera detallada les caracteristiques peculiars; els marcadors de reformulacio resulten ser en aquest sentit d’especial interes, perque aqui, en referir-se tambe al canvi de llengua, es fan servir en una gamma mes amplia de funcions respecte als contextos monolingues. L’objectiu de l’article es establir a quina llengua recorren els parlants per a aquests marcadors, i tambe si es produeixen diferencies dins de la mateixa classe.

Tipos de marcadores discursivos no galego oral e escrito

No capítulo introdutorio defínese, caracterízase e delimítase o concepto de marcador do discurso e faise unha sucinta mención ao estado da arte no relativo ao estudo dos marcadores do discurso en galego e aos problemas de interferencia que tales unidades presentan; tamén se estabelecen uns criterios de clasificación. Nos demais capítulos estúdase singularizadamente cada un dos cinco tipos de marcadores do discurso previamente fixados (estruturadores da información, conectores, reformuladores, operadores discursivos e marcadores de control de contacto), coas funcións e características propias de cada un. Tamén se achega exemplificación tirada dun corpus de textos orais e escritos.

Reformulation markers and polyphony

Reformulation markers (RMs) —in other words,that is,that is to say,i.e.andnamelyin English, andes decir,o sea,esto esanda saberin Spanish — are used to articulate different voices (Ducrot, 1984) or points of view (Anscombre, 1990; Nølke et al., 2004) in discourse. This paper offers a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the RMs found in a corpus of journalistic English and Spanish according to their different polyphonic arrangements. The theoretical framework used is a combination of insights from Relevance Theory — to explain the general role and the specific functions of RMs in the two languages —, and the Theory of Argumentation in Language — to account for their polyphonic meaning. The results show that instances of a high degree of polyphony are generally associated with particular discourse processes introduced by RMs, related to more interpretive uses such as definition, conclusion and consequence. However, significant differences emerge in the comparison of the specific RMs in English and in Spanish. Although the markers are often regarded as synonyms within each language or directly translatable from one language to another, their polyphonic potential may be considered a differentiating element between some of them.

La traducción entre lenguas afines en el discurso oral: el caso de algunos marcadores discursivos italianos de reformulación

The purpose of this contribution is to reflect on the translation of pragmatic markers in oral discourse and, in particular, on three Italian reformulation markers that present a rich variety of pragmatic values, as is the case of diciamo, insomma and cioe. We discuss the difficulty implied in the translation of these particles, the reasons of this difficulty, and the factors to be taken into account for translation (distribution, pragmatic functions, extralinguistic context, intonation) in order to attain an accurate translation, within the field of teaching Italian SL for Spanish speakers and translation of related languages. Within these markers, we will focus on the analysis of the translation of their non-prototypical values, that is, not so much on their metatextual values with a proper reformulation function, but on their metacommunicative and cognitive values, certainly more present in oral discourse.

Perspectives on the Translation of Discourse Markers: A Case Study of the Translation of Reformulation Markers from English into Hungarian

Abstract The aim of the present paper is to explore the difficulties translators have to face when translating discourse markers in general, and reformulation markers in particular. In the first part of the paper I will attempt to answer the question of why discourse markers are notoriously difficult to translate. Next, I will look at some of the genre-specific features pertaining to the translation of scripted discourse and subtitles. In the second part of the paper, after providing an overview of previous research into reformulation and reformulation markers, I will present the results of a case study of the translation of the English reformulation markers I mean and actually into Hungarian. By way of concluding, I will argue that a wider repertoire of translation strategies is needed in order to achieve dynamic equivalence in the target text.