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Pragmatics

Dive into the realm of pragmatics and semantics to decipher implied meanings in language use. Explore presuppositions, implicatures, deictics, and speech act theory for in-depth language comprehension.

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Pragmatics

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  1. Pragmatics LI 2013 Nathalie F. Martin

  2. So What Are You Saying? • Question: Would you like a burger? • Answer 1: No, thank you. • Answer 2: I’m on a diet. • Answer 3: My husband thinks I’m fat. • Answer 4: I’m a vegan. • The last three answers do not give a direct answer to the questions, but the answer is implied !

  3. SEMANTICS vs.PRAGMATICS • Semantics: – meaning ______________ away from users • Pragmatics: – Pragmatics is a systematic way of explaining language use in ______________ . – It seeks to explain aspects of meaning which cannot be found in the ______________ ____ of words or structures, as explained by semantics. Ex: “It is cold in here” (Implicature: request to close the window) • Semantics/pragmatics distinction: not always easy to draw

  4. PRESUPPOSITIONS What is the speaker possibly trying to say when he says: “John’s brother married that linguist.” What are the speakers _________________ : • Speaker assumes that the listener knows that John has a brother (and hence not mentioned explicitly) • that fact is presupposed • common ground • or ______________ ________(within discourse) • ‘marrying’ and/or ‘whom he married’ is ____________

  5. PRESUPPOSITIONS • The police ordered the minors to stop drinking. • Please take me out to the ball game again. • Gisèle wants more popcorn. • The captain realized that the ship was in danger.

  6. IMPLICATURE “Have you stopped going to the gym?” • Statements generate inferences beyond the semantic content of the sentences uttered.

  7. Tim Hawkins on Marriage

  8. Tim Hawkins on Marriage • PRESUPPOSITIONS: • I reallylikethatdress. It reminds me of myoldgirlfriend’s. • Presuppositions? • IMPLICATURES: • Hey honey, have yougainedsomeweight in yourrear end? • Implicature? • Wheredidyougetthoseshoes? • Implicature: I thinkthey’repretty lame! • (Won’tyoushut up, ‘cause) I’mtrying to watch the game! • Implicature?

  9. DEICTICS [daɪktɪks]  • Deictic: understanding the meaning of certain words and phrases in an utterance requires __________________ • Examples:as we, you, here, there, now, then, this, that, the former,  or the latter, this, that, etc. • Highly context sensitive; make direct reference to the context. • Personal deictic (Ex: Pronouns, ) • Spatial deictic (Ex: ) • Temporal deictic (Ex: )

  10. DEICTICS • The use of deictics requires knowledge of the ______________ of the ______________ : “Do you like this book?” • To answer, the addressee has to know where the speaker is or points/refers to “John is here.” • To know where exactly John is, we have to know where the speaker is.

  11. DEICTICS • The Son is on the right hand. • I saw him standing there. • Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. • These are the days that are of the harvest.

  12. Speech Act Theory John L. Austin

  13. Speech Act Theory • Speech act theory (John L. Austin) broadly explains that ______________(or speech acts) have three parts or aspects: • ______________ act • ______________ act • ______________ act • The key word here is act! This theory seeks to break down the act of speaking ! http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/lang/pragmatics.htm John L. Austin's

  14. Speech Act Theory • Locutionary acts: • simply the __________that has taken place • Illocutionary force: • are the ______________ which are ______________ by the utterance • In other words : where saying equals doing. • Ex: betting, pleading, declaration, welcoming, warning, etc. • Perlocutionary force: • are the ______________ of the utterance on the listener. http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/lang/pragmatics.htm John L. Austin's

  15. Illocutionary and Perlocutionary Force • I bet you five dollars that the Canadians win. • I challenge you to a match. • A dare you to step over this line. • I move that we adjourn. • I nominate John for president. • I promise to improve. • I resign!

  16. CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS H. Paul Grice

  17. CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS • Philosopher H. Paul ______________ • ______________ in communication: agreement by speaker and listener to cooperate in communication • Listener assumes (unless there is evidence to the contrary) that a speaker will have calculated his/her utterance along a number of principles (_______): Ex: speaker tells the truth, tries to estimate what the audience knows, etc.

  18. The Cooperative Principles: Maxims of Conversations (Grice, 1989)

  19. OBEYED, VIOLATED or FLOUTED • Violating maxims (Grice’s term): speaker ______ breaks them (e.g., intentionally lying) • Flouting: ______ breaking the maxims for some ____________ (e.g., sarcasm, irony, entertainment…) • Distinguishing factor: • we must look at a speaker’s intention!

  20. Implicature • Implicature • “Implicature” refers to what is ___________ in an utterance, even though not expressed nor strictly implied by the utterance. “Have you stopped going to the gym?”

  21. MAXIM OF QUALITY • Try to make your contribution one that is ______ . – Do not say what you believe is false – Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence. • Example: – My children are so well-behaved –Truth: I am aware (and embarrassed) that they are not well-behaved We would know that it is : - Flouting (certain intonation) - Violating (if a lie)

  22. MAXIM OF QUANTITY • Make your contribution as ______________ as is required for the current purposes of the exchange (i.e., _________ or ______ informative). • Example: – Speaker A: What did you have for lunch today? – Speaker B: I had cottage cheese. • Flouted or Violated: if the speaker also had pizza and banana split.

  23. …Quantity continued • Example: – Situation: Child is allowed only 2 cookies per day. – Parent: Did you eat three cookies today? – Child: No. • Flouted or violated: if the child had 4! • Example: – Speaker A: Is your daughter studying at university now? – Speaker B: She is going to classes and buying the books. • Implicature: She is not studying much.

  24. MAXIM OF RELEVANCE • Make your contributions ___________. Examples: – In response to anything: Is the Pope Catholic? – Implicature: Your question is so obvious… – Speaker A: Can you tell me the time? – Speaker B: Yes.

  25. MAXIM OF RELEVANCE • Examples: – Speaker A: When can you hand your paper in? – Speaker B: It’s a beautiful day. – Implicature: I don’t want to answer your question. – Flouted: answer is not relevant, but hearer will catch the irrelevance; violated: speaker hopes that listener does not catch the irrelevance.

  26. MAXIM OF MANNER • _______________ on language use : – Avoid ambiguity – Avoid obscurity – Be brief – Be orderly • Example: – Parent: Who broke the vase? – Son: It was one of your two children. – Implicature: I don’t want to answer this.

  27. …Manner continued • Examples: – This is my mother’s husband. – Respected: mother’s husband is not speaker’s father. – Implicature: Person is speaker’s father, but speaker is mad at him – Speaker A: Does your daughter play the piano? – Speaker B: She sits at the piano and pushes the keys and the keys make noise… – Implicature: She doesn’t play well. – This also violates the Maxim of Quantity

  28. CONVERSATIONAL IMPLICATURES • Conversational Maxims: not rules like phonological or syntactic rules, but rather _______________ , initial assumptions the speaker starts out with • Maxims can be violated (intentionally or unintentionally) to convey certain implicatures – Speaker A: Why are you in such a bad mood? Aren’t you happy that we’ll all go see the movie about fish? I am sure you’ll like it. – Speaker B: Sure, I’ll love it. – Implicature: I am sure I will hate it.

  29. PRACTIC PROBLEMS Flouting or violation? Which maxim? Example 1: – Question: How long did you watch TV today? – Answer: I watched for three hours. (When in fact it had been 5 hours.) Example 2: – I love it when you make me wait for you outside in the cold weather.

  30. PRACTIC PROBLEMS Example 3: – Question: When can you pay me back what you owe me? – Answer: I wonder how the Canadians will do this year. Example 4: – Question: Can you pick the kids up at school this afternoon? – Answer: I have piano lessons at 3pm. Example 5: – Not all students came to the party – (When in fact none of the students came)

  31. Interpreting Silence Context: Nathalie trying to open her heart / David trying to be attentive. Nathalie: I don’t think I pray nearly enough. David: … Nathalie: As a pastor’s wife, I should pray for you more. David: … Nathalie :Maybe I’m spiritual enough for you. David: … Nathalie (almost in tears) : Do you really think that of me?

  32. IMPLICATURE and CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS • Hey honey, have yougainedsomeweight in yourrear end? • Implicature: You shouldlooseweight. • Conversationalmaxim? • Obeyed, violated or flouted:? • Wheredidyougetthoseshoes? • Implicature: I thinkthey’repretty lame! • Conversationalmaxim? • Obeyed, violated or flouted? • (Won’tyoushut up, ‘cause) I’mtrying to watch the game! • Implicature: Pleaseshut up! • Conversationalmaxim? • Obeyed, violated or flouted?

  33. Conversational Maxims • Nowthatyou have learned about conversationalmaxims, whatwouldyousayisbehindthesestatements? • What’s up? • I’m fine. You?

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