Professor Hanjung Lee (Department of English Language and Literature) Clarifies the Efficiency of Language Use in Korean

-First Korean Solo Research Published in the World-Renowned Journal ｢Language｣

-Unveils Sophisticated Principles of Human Communication Through Analysis of Korean Conversation Data

▲ Sungkyunkwan University, Department of English Language and Literature, Professor Hanjung Lee

Professor Hanjung Lee from the Department of English Language and Literature is set to publish a research paper in ‘Language’, the most prestigious international journal in the field of linguistic theory. This paper, scheduled for publication in September, marks the first time a Korean linguist has published a solo-authored paper (excluding short papers and reviews) in this journal. ‘Language’, published by the Linguistic Society of America, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, making this achievement even more significant.

Professor Lee's paper, titled "Cue reliability, communicative efficiency, and differential subject marking: Evidence from Korean," delves deeply into the principles of communicative efficiency in language use. The study analyzes how Korean speakers adjust the complexity of noun phrases in informal conversations based on the reliability of contextual cues, revealing how they optimize the balance between cognitive cost and communicative effectiveness in language production.

In this research, Professor Lee meticulously analyzed Korean conversational data to examine how linguistic and non-linguistic factors influence the complexity of subject noun phrases. Through this, he sought to provide new insights into the universal principles that operate behind the unique linguistic structure and usage of Korean, much like an unseen guiding hand.

Professor Lee stated, "This research allowed for a deeper understanding of the unique linguistic features of Korean. By elucidating the principles of efficiency in language use, I aimed to demonstrate the sophisticated design of human communication."

In addition, Professor Lee runs the "Language Cognition Lab" in collaboration with Professor Na-Yeon Kim from the Department of English Language and Literature, along with undergraduate and graduate students. The lab consistently produces international research on language structure, semantics, and cognition. Currently, with support from the University Innovation Project in Artificial Intelligence, the lab is also focused on developing AI-assisted English language research and teaching methods.

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea.

※ Paper Title: Cue reliability, communicative efficiency, and differential subject marking: Evidence from Korean

※ Journal(Publisher): Language(Linguistic Society of America)

※ Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.0.a936037

※ Publication Dates: Online 2024. 8. 16. / Print edition expected on 2024. 9. 1.