As a reminder, you will choose ONE of the questions to answer for each reading and in approximately one paragraph.
Reading Response 8: Holmes (1984)
1. Give examples of three different pragmatic particles and their functions. How do we know these particles have these functions?
2. What kind of data can be used to research differences in speech across genders? What is important to keep in mind when gathering or evaluating such data?
3. Holmes argues that tag questions are highly flexible. What does she mean by this?
4. Briefly outline a sociolinguistic research question you would like to investigate by analyzing the distributional patterns across a corpus. How would you ensure you could answer your question with your chosen corpus and methods?
Reading Response 9: Tao (2016)
1. Tao (2016) cites this quote by Billig (1997): “The business of remembering can be a highly rhetorical or controversial business, so that the memory-claims might be accomplishing a variety of interactive business.” With reference to the excerpts analyzed in Tao (2016), what are some of these business tasks, and how do they differ from cognitive remembering?
2. Why is the distinction between cognitive remembering and “doing” remembrance (or claiming/contesting remembrance in conversation)? Why does this matter for linguistic research?
3. What role do both qualitative and quantitative methods play in this study? Evaluate the use and integration of these methods.
4. What cross-cultural differences in findings related to negative epistemics does Tao (2016) explore? What kind of analysis and data would be necessary to make broader claims about these differences?