The imperfective aspect in Korean : a panchronic approach

Abstract

The Korean construction-ko iss-is traditionally referred to as a progressive aspect marker. However, due to the different aspectual classifications of verbs in Korean and the multiple uses of the-ko iss-construction, it is not easy to determine its grammatical properties. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Korean-ko iss-construction and its different aspectual meanings in discourse. Claiming that consideration of discourse contexts is necessary to account for the semantic and grammatical nature of the-ko iss-construction, I attempted to address the different views and solve the ongoing disagreements on the aspectual classification of verbs in Korean and the grammatical category of the-ko iss-construction. Based on the results of the study analyzing naturally occurring discourse data, I suggest that the basic meaning of-ko iss-underlying all its current variant uses is "continuous status at reference time," which fits better with the continuous aspect than the progressive aspect. With the extended meaning of the habitual, the-ko iss-construction is categorized as a general imperfective. The multiple uses of the-ko iss-construction can be accounted for by taking a diachronic perspective; in other words, the grammaticalization of-ko iss-and the contextdependent nature of this construction can explain its multiple uses in Modern Korean. I investigated the historical development of the-ko iss-construction in order to find the answer to the question of why the-ko iss-construction should have the general meaning that it does, along with its various context-dependent interpretations. Based on empirical evidence and grammaticalization theory, I confirmed that the grammaticalization of-ko iss-is the major factor responsible for its multiple uses in Modern Korean. Finally, I empirically investigated how L2 learners acquire the Korean aspect marker-ko iss-with respect to verb type and analyzed L2 Korean textbooks used by the participants at the time of the study. Based on the results of the experimental study and the problems found in the L2 textbooks, I suggest more effective methods of teaching the aspectual meanings of-ko iss-in the L2 classroom.