语言学精品课ppt-07.pptVIP

Topic 6 Pragmatics 1. Definition A new branch of linguistics developed and established in the 1960s and 1970s. It studies meaning in context in which language is used, or studies how speakers of a language uses sentences to effect successful comunications. Scopes of Study Definition of pragmatics Context and meaning Sentence and utterance Speech Act Theory Conversational Analysis Conversational principle 2. Comparison of Semantics and Pragmatics Semantics: What does X mean? Pragmatics: What do you mean by X? For example: Today is Sunday. 3. Context and meaning A phylosophical issue Knowledge shared by the speaker and the hearer. There are two types of shared knowledge: knowledge of the language they use, and knowledge about the world, including the general knowledge about the situation in which linguistic communication is taking place. Types of context physical context epistemic context linguistic context social context Epistemic （认知）context The epistemic context refers to what speakers know about the world. For example, what background knowledge is shared by the speakers is crucially part of your epistemic knowledge when you have a conversation with someone else? Social Context The social context refers to the social relationship among speakers and hearers. physical: the conversation occurs in a library epistemic: libraries are quiet places linguistic: sarcastic tone of voice (intonation cues are linguistic) social context: you have the right to ask someone to be quiet in a place where people are supposed to be quiet, especially if their rule-breaking is injurious to the needs of others, which overrides the social norm of not giving orders to total strangers. A case study: Two people come into a library and they are talking really loud. They sit at your table and continue their babbling. So, you look up at them and say: Excuse me, could you please speak up a bit more? I missed what you said. ? The role of context in meaning und