The Analysis of Types and Functions of Chinese Interrogative Sentences Used between Hotel Guests and Front Desk Staff in China
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/jlapsu.2022.3Keywords:
interrogative sentences, language functions, conversation, hotel staff, guestsAbstract
The objectives of this research were to 1) study the types of Chinese interrogative sentences used in conversations between hotel staff and guests, 2) study the purposes of the questions asked in conversations between hotel staff and guests and 3) adapt the results to design the content of a Chinese for hospitality course. Data for this quantitative research study were collected by recording conversations between hotel staff and guests in various situations. The conversations were then transcribed to analyze the usage frequency of different types of interrogative sentences and the purposes of each question. Thirty-five audio recordings of a total of 20,285-word conversations were transcribed and analyzed. Results showed that the most common interrogative sentence demanded a true or false answer, followed by a specific question. Less frequent types of interrogative sentences were choice questions. There were 16 different purposes of the questions including seeking/requesting information, seeking advice, giving information, seeking confirmation, requesting nonverbal action and reminding. It was recommended that the design of a Chinese for hospitality course content focus on grammar, culture and language functions and also on the different types of interrogative sentences, while the purposes of different questions should be assimilated into each unit or lesson. The instructor should also encourage students to understand the different types of interrogative sentences and the purposes of the questions.
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Copyright (c) 2022 โชติกานต์ ใจบุญ, Ren Kexin
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