Temporal Sequencing and Narration in Learner Language: The Case of an Intensive Mandarin Chinese Program

Abstract

This paper investigates temporal sequencing and narration in learner language. The primary purposes of the study are to examine the temporal elements of different categories that students use, to characterize the distribution of these elements, and to compare the uses of temporal elements among students in a Chinese classroom. Building on the two-component theory of Smith (1997), and the meaning-oriented approach of Bardovi-Harlig (2000), this paper presents the results of a series of cross-semester observations in an intensive Mandarin Chinese language program, and shows that students rely on temporal expressions, morphological aspects, and contextual information to convey different types of eventualities in the progression of narration. The temporal schema presented can be helpful for teachers, and the research results have implications regarding language learning and teaching for both intensive language programs and classroom environments tailored for a critical or less commonly taught language, such as Arabic.

Keywords

• narration
• temporal sequencing
• tense
• aspect
• intensive program
• mandarin chinese