Chapter 6 Pragmatics

1. Chapter 6 Pragmatics

2. 6.1 Introduction

3. Review of semantics Meaning in lg. words Mother vs. Mother-in-law sentence: in, am, I, T-shirt, today

4. Review of semantics “I’m in T-shirt today.” What does the sent. mean? ↓ What does the speaker mean? What does the utterance mean?

5. Pragmatics speaker mg. semantics + pragmatics=study of mg. “I’m in T-shirt today.” “Mum, I’m in T-shirt today.”

6. speaker mg.: dependent on ??? Lg. users Social norms Belief Time, space Context Non-verbal Motivation Social setting Pre-text

7. speaker mg.: context-dependent Lg. users Social norms Social Belief Time, space Physical Context Mental Non-verbal Motivation Social setting Pre-text

8. Pragmatics = study of mg in context; use; communication; What does the speaker mean? What does the utterance mean?

9. PragmaticsSemantics Concrete Implicit Abstract Explicit 该来的没有来，不该走的倒走了。 Man: Do you love me? Woman: Well, I like you. conversational implicature

10. Pragmatics • Waste basket

11. Indispensable ‘basket’ e.g. “Today is Sunday.” Situation 1 Situation 2 … Pragmatic mg. conversational implicature

12. SALE: BABY & TODDLER p.142

13. 6.2 Micropragmatics

14. Ss presentation real life instances the speaker means more than what s/he said

15. Lead-in task (3) You’ll have to bring that back tomorrow, because they aren’t herenow. TB example p.144 (1)A: Where is the fresh salad sitting? B: He’s sitting by the door.

16. Lead-in task p.146 (6) When did you stop beating your wife? TB example p.145 (4)A: Can I borrow your dictionary? B: Yeah, it’s on the table.

17. Discussion Keywords: Reference Deixis Anaphora Presupposition Ss’ exapmples Ss’ definitions

18. Discussion Deixis person deixis space/spatial/place deixis discourse deixis social deixis Compare person deixis vs. social deixis

19. Discussion Presupposition Features: What are presupposition triggers? TB p.147 Q: Does one sentence just allow for one presupposition?

20. In-class activities video clip (twice) Sound of Music Task: To identify specific reference, deixis, anaphora and presuppositions involved Comment and feedback

21. In-class activities Brain teaser “when 1+1=3?” Task: To identify the presupposition(s) involved Comment and feedback

22. 6.3 Macropragmatics

23. lead-in tasks Act out Ss in pairs act out typical situations of apologizing, promising, commanding and congratulating Find out the specific utterances perfroming these actions

24. Discussion Compare e.g. Mr Smith was mad with his secretary. Vs. e.g. Stop that nonsense, Joe. Find out differences in their com. value ‘saying things’ Vs. ‘doing things with words’

25. Discussion Speech act theory What? Who? performative act e.g. TB p.149 Trichotomy= locution+illocution+perlocution

26. A. Locutionary act: the act of saying, the literal meaning of the utterance; B. Illocutionary act: the extra meaning of the utterance produced on the basis of its literal meaning; C. Perlocutioanry act: the effect of the utterance on the hearer, depending on specific circumstances.

27. (18) a. Husband: That’s the phone. b. Wife: I’m in the bathroom. c. Husband: Okay. Analysis:

28. In-class activities brainstorm Task: To brainstorm five sorts of situations where the speaker: states a fact, makes a suggestion, turns down a offer, express an attitude and delivers a declaration

29. In-class activities Classification ofillocutionary acts Representatives Directives Commissives Expressives Declarations

30. Demonstration Ss offer examples for directives Identify the degrees of indirectness Compare forms and functions indirect speech acts What? TB (p.152-3)

31. 6.3.2The Cooperative Principle

32. lead-in tasks Act out Ss in pairs strike a short conversation in whatever way as they wish. (two groups present) Find out whether there are principles governing the conduct of conversation

33. Discussion Ss comment on four aspects of conversation: quality quantity relation manner

34. Discussion the Cooperative Principle: For what? By whom? Maxims: Maxim of quality Maxim of quantity Maxim of relation Maxim of manner

35. Discussion the Cooperative Principle: Observing Flouting conversational implicatures: TB examples (33, 40, 41, 42)

36. In-class activities CP-based analysis Data: verbal jokes Task: to identify conversational implicatures derived from non-observance of certain CP maxims

37. In-class activities CP-based analysis Data: metaphor, irony or tautology Task: to account for their meanings on the ground of CP

38. 6.3.3The Politeness Principle

39. lead-in tasks pick up Ss watch the comedy clip (bu chaqian《不差钱》, picking up 5 utterances conveying conversational implicatures Find out why speakers always bother with implicit and indirect ways of saying things

40. Discussion evaluate Ss’ accounts Approach the weakness of the CP

41. In-class activities Fulfill the goal Task: Ss design a situation where they: show disagreement with your manager borrow money from your bad-tempered brother Maxim of relation let your kids know that you cannot stay with them for the coming Xmas

42. In-class activities Ss presentation Are there politeness considerations? The Politeness Principle (TB p. 158) Who? For what? Maxims

43. Puzzle session Big Q: Are there culture-specific differences between Chinese and westerners (e.g. English and Americans) in what counts to be politeness of verbal behaviors?

44. Exercises and Discussion QuestionsTB (p. 161-2)extended exercises