Abstract Based on linguistic data selected from 400 movies and TV series, this article attempts to examine types, varieties, and time distribution of dialectal movies and TV series over the last decade or so and analyzes the social variables of 620 dialect users in these movies and TV series. The findings reveal that Cantonese, Southwest Mandarin, Zhongyuan Mandarin, and Northeast Mandarin are more frequently used than others in movies and TV series. These dialects have become important language resources being utilized for literary expression of local characteristics. Since 2016, the number of dialectal movies and TV series has increased significantly, and their social images have been improved, and their economic benefits have been attractive; the socio-economic status of dialect users is embodied in social factors such as “middle-aged”, “male”, “manual worker”, “low literacy”, “rural township” and “comedy”; these factors function as contributors in constructing the current language image of dialects in movies and TV series. The article argues that the creation and dissemination of language image must conform with maintaining the major status of the ‘National Commonly Used Language and Characters’; at the same time, from the perspective of protecting and inheriting dialectal cultures, the language image of dialects in movies and TV series should be prevented from being stereotyped.
|
|
|
|
|