语用学Pragmatics An Introduction.ppt

1,Pragmatics:An Introduction,2,Chapter 1:Defining Pragmatics,PreliminariesPragmatics:definition and delimitationWhat use is pragmatics?,3,Preliminaries,A look at history1.Recent signs of the growing interest2.Reasons for recent development The importance of being a user,4,Recent signs of growing interest,1.international conferences 2.the founding of IPrA3.international journals4.written works on pragmatics,5,Reasons for recent development,1.Collapse of Chomskys“syntax-only”approach2.Growing number of unexplained observations,giving rise to a lot of theoretical paradoxes3.Shift from semantics to languages user and context,6,The importance of being a user,7,The importance of being a user,Common orienting feature of pragmatics:the users point of viewVarying interpretations of the use of language and the role of usersTwo definitions a.a narrow one by Levinson b.a broad usage of the term,8,Pragmatics:definition and delimitation,A definitionComponent,perspective or function?,9,A definition,Pragmatics cannot be restricted to purely linguistic matter;it should deal with users in social contextDefinition by the authorThe limitations of the definitionsThe complementarity by Leech,10,Definition by the author,Pragmatics studies the use of language in human communication as determined by the conditions of society.,11,The limitations of the definitions,All definitions offered cannot delimit pragmatics neatly and clearly.Two problems with the definitions a.being confined linguistically b.remains vague as regards the relation between pragmatics and the other areas in linguistics.Complementarity by Leech,12,The complementarity by Leech,Semanticism(pragmatics inside semantics)Pragmaticism(semantics inside pragmatics)Complementarism(complementary but independent),13,Definitions,Speakers perspective:Pragmatics is the study of speaker meaning.(George Yule,1996:3)Pragmatics is the study of how people use language for successful communication.(Kempson,1977:84),14,Hearers perspective:Pragmatics is the study of how more gets communicated than is said.(George Yule,1996:3)Pragmatics is the study of how to understand intentional speech act.(Green,1996:2),15,Contextual perspective:Pragmatics is the study of contextual meaning.(Yule,1996:3)Since language is developed in a social context,its use is governed by society rather than by the individual speakers.(Mey,1993:42),16,Dynamic communication perspective:Pragmatics is the study of the expression of relative distance.(Yule,1996:3)Pragmatics is the study of the ability of language users to pair sentences with the contexts in which they would be appropriate.(Levinson,1983:24),17,Function:Pragmatics as a general functional perspective on(any aspect of)language,i.e.as an approach to language which takes into account the full complexity of its cognitive,social and cultural functioning.(Verschueren,1995),18,Component,perspective or function?,Component vs.perspectiveFunction,19,Component vs.Perspective,20,A perspective view,Emphasis on the pragmatic aspects of all parts of linguisticsConcerning all hyphenated area of linguisticsAn umbrella for various areas of linguistics,21,A perspective component,A perspective component:i.e.the set of whatever pragmatic function can be assigned to language and the way these function operateSemantics:the unit is“meaning”Pragmatics:the unit is“the functioning of language”,22,Function,Advantages:consolidating the different agendas of componentialists and perspectivists Ways of conducting research:a.describing the actual use exactly b.establishing the minimal conditions for successful interaction,23,Aristotle,Shannon&Weaver(1949),origin,encoding,channel,decoding,destiny,information,signal,noise,signal receiving,informationreceiving,24,Sperber&Wilson(1986),Thinking,Acoustic signal,Received acoustic signal,Received thought,hearer,Central thinking process,Language encoding,Air,Language decoding,Central thinking process,speaker,noise,25,What use is pragmatics?,Theory and practiceUses and aims Why do we need pragmatics?The aims of pragmatics,26,Theory&Practice,An abstract characterization:as a component of linguistics or as a“perspective”pervading all componentsA practical characterization:problems from both the outside and the inside,27,Uses&Aims,Why do we need pragmatics?The aims of pragmatics,28,Why do we need pragmatics?,Answers:a.general:deeper,fuller,better account for human language behavior b.practical:pragmatic account is the only one make senseContext:Pragmatics:proactive dynamic ongoing Semantics:retroactive static,29,The aims of pragmatics,To liberate linguistics from the“immanence”,from isolated partsSaving languages not by merely describing them but by saving their users,30,Some Issues in Pragmatics,The pragmatic waste-basketLinguists without bordersPhilosophers,ordinary people and ordinary languageOf cats and ducksLinguistics and reality:presuppositionA world of users,31,The pragmatic waste-basket,Notion of waste-basketSemantics:the waste-basket of syntax Chomsky:selection featurePragmatics:the waste-basket of semantics,32,Linguists without borders,Leech:the development of pragmatics as a colonizationTwo implications here:a.some conflict back home:theoretical vs.practical approach the rebellion from“syntacticism”b.natives:philosophers explored virgin land of semantics,33,Scopes,Pragmatic-linguistics:(interdisciplinary study of pragmatics and semantics).Speaker meaningHearer meaningDiscourse meaning,34,Related Studies,Pragmatics&SyntaxPragmatics&PsychologyPragmatics&Sociology,35,Subdivision,Pragmalinguistics（语用语言学）Cognitive pragmatics（认知语用学）Societal pragmatics（社会语用学）Developmental pragmatics（发展语用学）Interlanguage pragmatics（语际语用学）Cross-cultural pragmatics（跨文化语用学）,36,Philosophers,ordinary people and ordinary language,Traditional:Logic,the priority of language,both philosophers and lay peopleModern:emphasis on how people use language.Austin.Logic and language are not always together,and the overlapping area is rather small.e.g.“and”,37,Of cats and ducks,Chomskyan system:formal-logic,well-formedness of sentencesOWLs:what people really say,what is the actual criterion in judging well-formedness.Examples:collective noun,“who”,“his”and“its”,38,Linguistics and reality:presupposition,Semantic explanation.Presupposition:the underlying elements contained in the utterance.Presupposition cannot always be clear-cut semanticallyPragmatic explanation is needed.Presupposition should be pragmatic,rather than semantic,39,A world of users,A renewed interest in the user of languageConvergent reason:external forces:discontent with Chomskys model internal forces:grammars inability to deal with actual language useA world of users:the speakers linguistic,social,cultural,and general life context.how language is used in those world.,40,Thanks!,