A Corpus-based Analysis of Korean 'Yes' Words yey, ney, and ung: A Pedagogical Perspective

ABSTRACT Language corpora are increasingly recognized as a useful tool for observing patterns of real-life language use. This study investigates various discourse functions of Korean 'yes' words, namely, yey, ney, and ung, based on a Korean speech corpus. Using a corpus of Korean native speakers' unscripted conversations, this study identified ten major functions of yey, ney and ung: (1) positive response, (2) continuer, (3) display of understanding, (4) hesitation filler, (5) self-affirmation, (6) attention getter, (7) response to calling, (8) repair initiator, (9) display of surprise or confusion, and (10) confirmation seeker. The ten functions were then examined for their frequency rates and the contexts of occurrences. Although yey, ney, and ung are widely perceived as simply indicating positive response, this study demonstrates a range of discourse functions that yey, ney, and ung carry in real-world communication. This study further discusses the pedagogical implications of corpora in classroom language teaching and learning.