A Study On Semantic Relations Of Reformulation In Internet Interviews

With the development of new media,interview programs are no longer limited to traditional TV media.Instead,by relying on video websites and mobile phone APPs,they are available on network platforms,and become a kind of self-made programs on video websites.With its immediate,interactive,independent characteristics,Internet interviews have wined a broader space for development.In Internet interviews,the host or the guest often provides information in one way and then explains it in another.In verbal communication,this sort of phenomenon called “reformulation” is fairly common,and the connective components that mark this phenomenon are called“reformulation markers”.The majority of previous researches have explored reformulation in written language,either in academic texts or in literary works,but little is known about that in spoken language.From the perspective of semantic relations between the restatement and the foregoing part,studies abroad mainly discussed causal relations based on relevance theory,while domestic scholars focused on the differences reflected in semantic complexity,laying emphasis on the description of semantic objectivity without giving due attention to semantic subjectivity of reformulation,though.Therefore,based on previous scholars' relevant research outcomes at home and abroad,this paper selects22 domestic internet interview programs from Definition(in 2020)and Thirteen Invitations(from 2016 to 2020)at random adding up to 203072 words and studies the frequency,features and pragmatic function of typical reformulation markers,as well as semantic relations of reformulation in Internet interviews so as to get a relatively comprehensive understanding of reformulation in Chinese verbal discourse,after clarifying core concepts,such as reformulation and reformulation markers.The research findings are as follows:1)After analyzing the conversational discourse of 22 Internet interview programs,we found that reformulation markers adopted in the discourse by speakers mainly contain “that is(to say)”(804 times,73.9%)and “or(to say)”(280 times,25.7%).“In other words” rarely appears(4 times,0.4%)and “namely” suitable for formal style isn't used at all.2)This paper then explores textual and interpersonal functions of reformulation markers respectively on the basis of coherence and relevance theory.3)There are four types of reformulation in Internet interviews: hosts' self-reformulation(157 times,14.4%),hosts' reformulation of guests' discourse(48times,4.4%),guests' self-reformulation(844 times,77.6%)and guests' reformulation of hosts' discourse(39 times,3.6%).Semantic relations reflected in hosts' self-reformulation mainly consist of complementary relationship(45 times,28,7%),alternative relationship(32 times,20.4%)and specified relationship(23 times,14.6%).Inferential relationship(16 times,33.3%)and revealed relationship(14 times,29.2%)are primarily manifested in hosts' reformulation of guests' discourse.Semantic relations shown in guests' self-reformulation chiefly include detailed relationship(190 times,22.5%),specified relationship(123 times,14.6%),generalized relationship(115 times,13.6%),complementary relationship(107 times,12.7%)as well as explanatory relationship(105 times,12.4%).And semantic relations presented in guests' reformulation of hosts' discourse principally cover fixed relationship(16 times,41%)and specified relationship(6 times,15.4%).Previous studies mostly discussed reformulation and reformulation markers in monologue discourse,while this paper focuses on semantic relations of reformulation in conversational discourse,which extends the study on reformulation in written language to that in spoken language.We also found three kinds of new semantic relations,namely alternative,complementary,and progressive relationship.The research can help interlocutors realize their communicative purpose and intention better by means of reformulation.