Pragmatics

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Pragmatics

• Week 1 2
• Introduction to Pragmatics Course
• Overview of Pragmatic issues

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What is Pragmatics all about?

• I brought some shushi and cooked it it wasnt
  bad (an ad for a downtown cocktail bar Sweet
  Alice, published in Reader, 21 August 1992)

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• Analyse the sentence syntactically and
  semantically?
• What is the reason or purpose of this ad?
• Why did Sweet Alice invite the customers by
  innuendo (indirectly) only?
• Why is it effective to invite people to come to
  the parlor bar?

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• Semantically wrong it doesnt make sense because
  the semantics of one of its parts (sushi)
  contradict the semantics of another part
  (cooking)
• The joke has a euphoric effect, similar to that
  of a disarming smile it invokes the silly state
  of mind that becomes our privilege after a couple
  of drinks.
• This ad is effective to invite people to come to
  the parlor bar

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• Image of advertisements (Cigarette, hotel, aqua)
• Analyse the sentence syntactically and
  semantically?
• What is the reason or purpose of this ad?
• Why is it effective to invite people to smoke?

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Pragmatics

• It is alright to use language in various,
  unconventional ways, as long as we know what we
  are doing. We can semantically shocked if there
  is a reason for it.
• It is called pragmatic when we cannot explain
  it using normal explanations of linguistics

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Pragmatics

• The science of language seen in relation to its
  users, as it is used by real, live people, for
  their own purposes and within their limitations
  and affordances (Mey, 1993)

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Syntax, Semantics Pragmatics

• Syntax the study of the relationship between
  linguistic forms, how they are arranged in
  sequence, and which sequences are well-formed. No
  consideration of any world of reference or any
  users of the forms.
• Semantics the study of the relationship between
  linguistic forms and entities in the world how
  words literally connect to things attempts to
  establish the relationships between verbal
  descriptions and states of affairs in the world
  as accurate or not, regardless of who produces
  that description.
• Pragmatics the study of the relationship between
  linguistic forms and the users of those forms
  humans are involved in the analysis one can talk
  about peoples intended meaning, assumptions, and
  purposes, and kinds of actions they are
  performing when they speak (Yule, 2003).

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Why do we need pragmatics?

• Is there any ambiguity in language?
• How do we describe context?

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• Pragmatics is needed if we want a fuller, deeper,
  and generally more reasonable account of human
  language behavior.In the following, only a
  pragmatic account is possible
• I just met an old Irishman and his son, coming
  out of the toilet.I wouldnt have thought
  there was room for the two of themNo, silly, I
  mean I was coming out of the toilet. They were
  waiting (Lodge in Mey, 1993).

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How do we describe context?

• The surroundings that enable the participants in
  the communication process to interact, and that
  make the linguistic expressions of their
  interaction intelligible.
• Refers to user-oriented point of view how all
  linguistic elements are used in a concrete setting

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Aspects of speech situations

• How do we know that we deal with pragmatic,
  rather than semantic phenomena?
• addressers and addressees include
  speaker-hearer, writer-reader
• context of an utterance relevant aspects of the
  physical or social setting of an utterance
  shared background knowledge
• goal of utterance conscious volition or
  motivation, goal-oriented activities

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Aspects of speech situations

• illocutionary act a speech act. While grammar
  deals with abstract static entities such as
  sentences (in syntax), and propositions (in
  semantics), pragmatics deals with verbal acts or
  performances taking place at particular
  situations (more concrete level).
• utterance as a product of a verbal act use in a
  particular situation

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How can we account for this utterance?

• A So can you please come over here right now
• B Well, I have to go to Edinburgh today, Sir.
• A Hmm. How about this Thursday?
• (Levinson, 1983 48)

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• Inferences
• 1. It is not the end of the conversation (nor
  the beginning)
• 2. A is requesting B to come to A at (or soon
  after) the time of speaking B implies he cant
  (or would rather not) comply A repeats the
  request for some other time.
• 3. In requesting, A must (a) want B to come now,
  (b) think it is possible that B can come, (c)
  think B is not alrady there, (d) think B was not
  about to come anyway, (e) expect that B will
  respond with an acceptance or rejection, and if B
  accepts, then A will also expect B to come, (f)
  think that this (As) asking may be possible
  motive for B to come, (g) not be, or be
  pretending not to be, in a position to order B to
  come.

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• 4. A assumes that B knows where A is A and B
  are not in the same place, neither A nor B is in
  Edinburgh A thinks B has been to As place
  before.
• 5. The day on which the exchange is taking place
  is not Thursday, nor Wednesday ( or at least, so
  A believes)
• 6. A is male (or so B believes) A is
  aknowledged by B to have a higher social status
  than B (or to be playing the role of a superior).

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• John, how many times have I asked you not to keep
  changing the TV channels?
• (spoken by Mary Smith, happily married to John)
  Is it a question? What is the tone of the speaker?

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• I now pronounce you husband and wife
• a. uttered by a minister presiding at a ceremony
  in which a young couple are getting married in
  the presence of their assembled families
• b. uttered by an actor dressed as a minister to
  two actors before a congregation of Hollywood
  extras assembled in the same church by a director
  giving instructions for the filming of a
  television soap opera.
• Which situation will effect the marriage between
  the couple? Why?

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What use if Pragmatics?

• How could Pragmatics contribute to avoid language
  decay?

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A waste basket

• Why is Pragmatics called a waste basket?

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• No parking, violators will be towed away
• No shoes, No shirts, no service
• No checks, No Exceptions

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What do you think of these quotes?

• When a diplomat says yes, he means perhaps
• When he says perhaps, he means no
• When he says no, he is not a diplomat.
• When a lady says no, she means perhaps
• When she says perhaps, she means yes
• When she says yes, she is not a lady.
• Voltaire (Quoted, in Spanish, in Escandell 1993.)

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Group Work (3 students)

• Analyse the each of the warnings syntactically
  and semantically?
• Give pragmatic account for each warning?
• What is the reason or purpose of this sign?
• Why is it effective to warn people about the
  warning?

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