What is Pragmatics
English 0304 黄慧
What is Pragmatics
?,We human beings are odd compared with our nearest
animal relatives,Unlike them,we can say what we want,
when we want,All normal humans can produce and
understand any number of new words and sentences,
Humans use the multiple options of language often without
thinking,But blindly,they sometimes fall into its traps,
They are like spiders who exploit their webs,but
themselves get caught in the sticky strands.”
Jean Aitchison
What is Pragmatics
?,Pragmatics studies the factors that govern our
choice of language in social interaction and the
effects of our choice on others.”
David Crystal
What is Pragmatics
?,Pragmatics is all about the meanings between
the lexis and the grammar and the
phonology...Meanings are implied and the
rules being followed are unspoken,unwritten
ones.”
George Keith
What is Pragmatics
?,Pragmatics is a way of investigating how sense can be
made of certain texts even when,from a semantic
viewpoint,the text seems to be either incomplete or to
have a different meaning to what is really intended,
Consider a sign seen in a children's wear shop window,
“Baby Sale - lots of bargains”,We know without asking
that there are no babies are for sale - that what is for sale
are items used for babies,Pragmatics allows us to
investigate how this,meaning beyond the words” can be
understood without ambiguity,The extra meaning is there,
not because of the semantic aspects of the words
themselves,but because we share certain contextual
knowledge with the writer or speaker of the text.
What is Pragmatics
?,Pragmatics is an important area of study for your course,
A simplified way of thinking about pragmatics is to
recognise,for example,that language needs to be kept
interesting - a speaker or writer does not want to bore a
listener or reader,for example,by being over-long or
tedious,So,humans strive to find linguistic means to make
a text,perhaps,shorter,more interesting,more relevant,
more purposeful or more personal,Pragmatics allows this.,
Steve Campsall
What is Pragmatics
? Pragmatics is a systematic way of explaining language use
in context,
? It seeks to explain aspects of meaning which cannot be
found in the plain sense of words or structures,as explained
by semantics,
? As a field of language study,pragmatics is fairly new,Its
origins lie in philosophy of language and the American
philosophical school of pragmatism,As a discipline within
language science,its roots lie in the work of (Herbert) Paul
Grice on conversational implicature and the cooperative
principle,and on the work of Stephen Levinson,Penelope
Brown and Geoff Leech on politeness,
What is Pragmatics
? We can illustrate how pragmatics works by an
example from association football (and other
field sports),It sometimes happens that a team-
mate will shout at me:,Man on!” Semantic
analysis can only go so far with this phrase,
What is Pragmatics
? For example,it can elicit different lexical
meanings of the noun,man” (mankind or the
human race,an individual person,a male
person specifically) and the preposition,on”
(on top of,above,or other relationships as in
“on fire”,“on heat”,“on duty”,“on the fiddle”
or,on the telly”),
What is Pragmatics
? And it can also explain structural meaning,
and account for the way this phrase works in
longer sequences such as the,first man on the
moon”,“a man on the run” or,the man on
top of the Clapham omnibus”,
What is Pragmatics
? None of this explains the meaning in the context
of the football game,This is very complex,but
perhaps includes at least the following elements,
? My team-mate has seen another player's
movement,and thinks that I have either not seen
it,or have not responded to it appropriately,
? My team-mate wants me to know that I am
likely to be tackled or impeded in some way,
What is Pragmatics
? My team-mate wants me to respond appropriately,
as by shielding the ball,passing it to an unmarked
player,laying it off for another team-mate and so on,
? My team-mate has an immediate concern for me,
but this is really subordinated to a more far-sighted
desire for me,as a player on his team,to protect the
ball or retain possession,as this will make our team
more likely to gain an advantage,
What is Pragmatics
? My team-mate understands that my opponent will
also hear the warning,but thinks that his hearing it
will not harm our team's chances as much as my
not being aware of the approaching player,
? My team-mate foresees that I may rebuke him
(and the other players on our team collectively) if
no-one,from a better vantage point,alerts me to
the danger,
What is Pragmatics
? If this is right (or even part of it),it is clear that my team-
mate could not,in the time available,(that is,before the
opponent tackles me) communicate this information in the
explicit manner above,But it also relies on my knowing the
methods of language interchange in football.,Man on” is an
established form of warning,For all I know,professional
players may have their own covert forms,as when they
signal a routine at a free kick,corner or throw-in,by calling a
number or other code word,
What is Pragmatics
? Also,though my team-mate is giving me
information,in the context of the game,he is
chiefly concerned about my taking the right action,
If response to the alert becomes like a conditioned
reflex (I hear the warning and at once lay the ball
off or pass),then my contribution to the team
effort will be improved,(Reflection on how I play
the game is fine after the match,but not helpful at
moments when I have to take action.)
What is Pragmatics
The End
Thank you
English 0304 黄慧
What is Pragmatics
?,We human beings are odd compared with our nearest
animal relatives,Unlike them,we can say what we want,
when we want,All normal humans can produce and
understand any number of new words and sentences,
Humans use the multiple options of language often without
thinking,But blindly,they sometimes fall into its traps,
They are like spiders who exploit their webs,but
themselves get caught in the sticky strands.”
Jean Aitchison
What is Pragmatics
?,Pragmatics studies the factors that govern our
choice of language in social interaction and the
effects of our choice on others.”
David Crystal
What is Pragmatics
?,Pragmatics is all about the meanings between
the lexis and the grammar and the
phonology...Meanings are implied and the
rules being followed are unspoken,unwritten
ones.”
George Keith
What is Pragmatics
?,Pragmatics is a way of investigating how sense can be
made of certain texts even when,from a semantic
viewpoint,the text seems to be either incomplete or to
have a different meaning to what is really intended,
Consider a sign seen in a children's wear shop window,
“Baby Sale - lots of bargains”,We know without asking
that there are no babies are for sale - that what is for sale
are items used for babies,Pragmatics allows us to
investigate how this,meaning beyond the words” can be
understood without ambiguity,The extra meaning is there,
not because of the semantic aspects of the words
themselves,but because we share certain contextual
knowledge with the writer or speaker of the text.
What is Pragmatics
?,Pragmatics is an important area of study for your course,
A simplified way of thinking about pragmatics is to
recognise,for example,that language needs to be kept
interesting - a speaker or writer does not want to bore a
listener or reader,for example,by being over-long or
tedious,So,humans strive to find linguistic means to make
a text,perhaps,shorter,more interesting,more relevant,
more purposeful or more personal,Pragmatics allows this.,
Steve Campsall
What is Pragmatics
? Pragmatics is a systematic way of explaining language use
in context,
? It seeks to explain aspects of meaning which cannot be
found in the plain sense of words or structures,as explained
by semantics,
? As a field of language study,pragmatics is fairly new,Its
origins lie in philosophy of language and the American
philosophical school of pragmatism,As a discipline within
language science,its roots lie in the work of (Herbert) Paul
Grice on conversational implicature and the cooperative
principle,and on the work of Stephen Levinson,Penelope
Brown and Geoff Leech on politeness,
What is Pragmatics
? We can illustrate how pragmatics works by an
example from association football (and other
field sports),It sometimes happens that a team-
mate will shout at me:,Man on!” Semantic
analysis can only go so far with this phrase,
What is Pragmatics
? For example,it can elicit different lexical
meanings of the noun,man” (mankind or the
human race,an individual person,a male
person specifically) and the preposition,on”
(on top of,above,or other relationships as in
“on fire”,“on heat”,“on duty”,“on the fiddle”
or,on the telly”),
What is Pragmatics
? And it can also explain structural meaning,
and account for the way this phrase works in
longer sequences such as the,first man on the
moon”,“a man on the run” or,the man on
top of the Clapham omnibus”,
What is Pragmatics
? None of this explains the meaning in the context
of the football game,This is very complex,but
perhaps includes at least the following elements,
? My team-mate has seen another player's
movement,and thinks that I have either not seen
it,or have not responded to it appropriately,
? My team-mate wants me to know that I am
likely to be tackled or impeded in some way,
What is Pragmatics
? My team-mate wants me to respond appropriately,
as by shielding the ball,passing it to an unmarked
player,laying it off for another team-mate and so on,
? My team-mate has an immediate concern for me,
but this is really subordinated to a more far-sighted
desire for me,as a player on his team,to protect the
ball or retain possession,as this will make our team
more likely to gain an advantage,
What is Pragmatics
? My team-mate understands that my opponent will
also hear the warning,but thinks that his hearing it
will not harm our team's chances as much as my
not being aware of the approaching player,
? My team-mate foresees that I may rebuke him
(and the other players on our team collectively) if
no-one,from a better vantage point,alerts me to
the danger,
What is Pragmatics
? If this is right (or even part of it),it is clear that my team-
mate could not,in the time available,(that is,before the
opponent tackles me) communicate this information in the
explicit manner above,But it also relies on my knowing the
methods of language interchange in football.,Man on” is an
established form of warning,For all I know,professional
players may have their own covert forms,as when they
signal a routine at a free kick,corner or throw-in,by calling a
number or other code word,
What is Pragmatics
? Also,though my team-mate is giving me
information,in the context of the game,he is
chiefly concerned about my taking the right action,
If response to the alert becomes like a conditioned
reflex (I hear the warning and at once lay the ball
off or pass),then my contribution to the team
effort will be improved,(Reflection on how I play
the game is fine after the match,but not helpful at
moments when I have to take action.)
What is Pragmatics
The End
Thank you
