漢語母子對話中言談主題的起始

Topic Initiation in Mandarin Mother-Child Conversation

本研究探討說漢語的三歲幼兒如何在自然母子對話中起始言談主題。研究議題著重於言談主題的類型、溝通意圖的種類、指稱的建立、和命題的表達。研究結果顯示幼兒主要以信息來起始言談主題，而母親則主要以問題來起始言談主題。這種溝通意圖的差異在時空移位類型的言談主題中特別明顯。同時，研究結果也顯示，幼兒在起始言談主題時經常沒有對指稱和命題提供足夠的訊息；而言談主題的建立經常是由幼兒與母親共同建構的。本研究並指出母親所使用的互動方式應可幫助幼兒在言談主題方面能力的習得。

This study investigated Mandarin-speaking three-year-old children's ability to initiate discourse topics in natural mother-child conversation, focusing especially on the types of topics initiated, the kinds of communicative intents conveyed, the references established, and the propositions expressed. The results showed that the children of the study initiated discourse topics mainly with informatives while the mothers initiated discourse topics mainly with questions; these opposite distribution patterns were especially conspicuous in displacement topics. It was also found that the children often did not provide sufficient information about references and propositions when initiating topics; topic establishments often were co-constructed by both the child and the mother. It was suggested that the mothers' interactive styles may facilitate the children's acquisition of discourse topic skills.