Course Descriptions

Pragmatics is the study of the relationship between the meaning of an utterance and the context in which the utterance is produced. We normally think of people using language to produce utterances, though the act of production involves not only words and grammar but also vocal prosody, gesture, gaze, and bodily stance. The context of production is also much grander than the time and place of utterance and includes the physical, spatial, temporal, social, interactional, institutional, political, and historical circumstances in which a person produces an utterance. By ‘utterance’ and ‘context’ we name systems of interconnection among very many features, and the study of the relationship between utterance and context is not to be undertaken lightly. 

Learning Outcomes

This course will introduce students to the study of contextualized meaning in Linguistics — and attempt to answer the question: how do we create meaning from the utterances we make? Pragmatics is the branch of Linguistics that studies how people communicate and understand each other. To get a grasp on this, we will break communication down into speaker meaning, contextual meaning, extra-linguistic communication and relative distance.  Since Pragmatics can also be defined as the “relationship of signs to their users and interpreters” (Horn, 2010), we will also be examining how individuals bring their cultural experiences, worldview, and assumptions to conversations. To analyze these aspects of language, we will develop a formal system for discourse analysis and students will come away with the tools to analyze natural language in a formal manner.

References

Austin (1962) How to do things with words. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Brown, P., and Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Cutting, J. (2002). Pragmatics and discourse: A resource book for students: A, B, C, D. London; New York: Routledge.

Grice, H. P. (1975). ‘Logic and conversation’, in Cole, P. and Morgan, J. (eds) Pragmatics (syntax and semantics) vol. 9, New York: Academic Press.

Grundy, P. (2000). Doing pragmatics (2ed.). London: Arnold.

Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.

Leech, G. N. (1981). Semantics: The study of meaning (2nd ed.). Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin. 

Leech, G. (1983), Principles of pragmatics. Harlow: Longman.

Stubbs, M. (1983). Discourse analysis: The sociolinguistic analysis of natural language. Oxford, UK: Blackwell. 

Searle, J. R. (1969) Speech acts. Cambridge: CUP

Sinclair J. McH. and Coulthard, R. M. (1975). Towards an analysis of discourse. Oxford: OUP

Yule, G. (1996). Pragmatics. Oxford and New York: OUP.

van Dijk, T. A. (2006). Discourse, context and cognition. Discourse Studies, 8(1), 159-177. doi: 10.1177/1461445606059565

Watts, R. J. (2003). Politeness. Cambridge, UK & New York: Cambridge University Press. 

 

 

 

 

Details ...

Course Descriptions

Pragmatics is the study of the relationship between the meaning of an utterance and the context in which the utterance is produced. We normally think of people using language to produce utterances, though the act of production involves not only words and grammar but also vocal prosody, gesture, gaze, and bodily stance. The context of production is also much grander than the time and place of utterance and includes the physical, spatial, temporal, social, interactional, institutional, political, and historical circumstances in which a person produces an utterance. By ‘utterance’ and ‘context’ we name systems of interconnection among very many features, and the study of the relationship between utterance and context is not to be undertaken lightly. 

Learning Outcomes

This course will introduce students to the study of contextualized meaning in Linguistics — and attempt to answer the question: how do we create meaning from the utterances we make? Pragmatics is the branch of Linguistics that studies how people communicate and understand each other. To get a grasp on this, we will break communication down into speaker meaning, contextual meaning, extra-linguistic communication and relative distance.  Since Pragmatics can also be defined as the “relationship of signs to their users and interpreters” (Horn, 2010), we will also be examining how individuals bring their cultural experiences, worldview, and assumptions to conversations. To analyze these aspects of language, we will develop a formal system for discourse analysis and students will come away with the tools to analyze natural language in a formal manner.

References

Austin (1962) How to do things with words. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Brown, P., and Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Cutting, J. (2002). Pragmatics and discourse: A resource book for students: A, B, C, D. London; New York: Routledge.

Grice, H. P. (1975). ‘Logic and conversation’, in Cole, P. and Morgan, J. (eds) Pragmatics (syntax and semantics) vol. 9, New York: Academic Press.

Grundy, P. (2000). Doing pragmatics (2ed.). London: Arnold.

Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.

Leech, G. N. (1981). Semantics: The study of meaning (2nd ed.). Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin. 

Leech, G. (1983), Principles of pragmatics. Harlow: Longman.

Stubbs, M. (1983). Discourse analysis: The sociolinguistic analysis of natural language. Oxford, UK: Blackwell. 

Searle, J. R. (1969) Speech acts. Cambridge: CUP

Sinclair J. McH. and Coulthard, R. M. (1975). Towards an analysis of discourse. Oxford: OUP

Yule, G. (1996). Pragmatics. Oxford and New York: OUP.

van Dijk, T. A. (2006). Discourse, context and cognition. Discourse Studies, 8(1), 159-177. doi: 10.1177/1461445606059565

Watts, R. J. (2003). Politeness. Cambridge, UK & New York: Cambridge University Press. 

 

 

 

 

Details ...