| You know and I mean are widely used in English spoken discourse,and their various functions has always been one of the research hotspots in pragmatics.But there are few comparative studies of these two markers,and their similarities and differences in actual use are still indistinct.You know and I mean perform typical functions as metadiscourse in spoken discourse,therefore,based on Adel's model of metadiscourse,with 48 highly interactive texts in Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English as linguistic materials,this research summarizes the metadiscursive functions of you know and I mean,compares the similarities and differences in terms of their functions,and investigates the reasons for their performances.The research findings are presented as follows.Firstly,you know and I mean both perform four metadiscursive functions in academic speech-discourse organization,information expansion,stance expression and engagement establishment,in which there are 20 specific functions such as summarizing,exemplifying,making comments and seeking recognition.Secondly,in terms of the four metadiscursive functions,information expansion is the most typical function of both markers(especially you know),discourse organization is performed by you know and I mean with a low frequency,and there are no obvious differences in engagement establishment,but stance expression is fulfilled more by I mean.Thirdly,differences also exist in 20 specific functions,for example,airing opinions is only realized by I mean in stance expression,and adding in you knows is much more than that in I means in information expansion.The first five functions that occur most often in you knows and I means also reflect their different tendencies in use:the former is more often used to illustrate some factive contents such as phenomena and statistics,while the latter is favored by speakers to show personal viewpoints with tentative explications.Finally,there are three factors that can be used to explain the performances of metadiscursive you know and I mean.As for basic meanings,the direct mention of participants determines the necessity of establishing engagement.Specifically,you know overtly points at listeners and implies an awareness of information,while I mean clearly shows the presence of speakers and presents intrinsic meanings of the utterance.In discourse features,the academic context requires speakers to achieve the primary aim of passing on accurate information,the spontaneous and collaborative spoken discourse causes the limitation of you know and I mean in discourse organization,and specific features such as disciplinary genres,and the complexity or popularity of topics also affect their use.In terms of persona portrayal,speakers in academic speech not only need to present their rigorous attitudes as qualified researchers,but also try to form a harmonious relationship with the audience by shortening the mental distance(you know)or leaving much room for reaction(I mean).This research is significant in two aspects.Theoretically,this study analyzes the use of you know and I mean in academic speech from the perspective of metadiscourse,which specifies the metadiscursive functions of these two markers and provides a new viewpoint for studies on other similar expressions.Practically,the comparison of the functions of you know and I mean can raise speakers' awareness of the importance of such metadiscourse markers,so that it can offer guidance in proper use of you know and I mean for speakers,especially novices in academic spoken discourse.Meanwhile,this study also serves as a point of reference for teachers in English spoken and written courses to teach language strategies to achieve interaction. |
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