Download Chapter 05 -- Pragmatics

Pragmatics
"1. How do people communicate more than
what the words or phrases of their utterances
might mean by themselves, and how do
people make these interpretations?
2. Why do people choose to say and/or interpret
something in one way rather than another?
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, p. 70.
Pragmatics
3. How do people's perceptions of contextual
factors (for example, who the interlocutors
are, what their relationship is, and what
circumstances they [75:] are communicating
in) influence the process of producing and
interpreting language?"
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, p. 70.
Code-Model of
Communication
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"…communication is seen as an encoding-decoding
process, where a code is a system that enables the
automatic pairing of messages (that is, meanings
internal to senders and receivers) and signals (that is,
what is physically transmitted (sound, smoke signals,
writing) between the sender and the receiver).
According to this view, communication is successful
to the extent that the sender and the receiver pair
signals and messages in the same way, so that the
message broadcast in the form of a given signal is
identical to the one received when that signal is
decoded."
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, pp. 70-71.
Expansion of Code-Model of
Communication
Good, as far as it goes, BUT: “human
communicative behaviour relies heavily on
people's capacity to engage in reasoning
about each other's intentions, exploiting not
only the evidence presented by the signals in
the language code but also evidence from
other sources, including perception and
general world knowledge.”
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, p. 71.
Sample Dialogue
[1] Kiki:
Where are you going tonight?
[2] Sharon: Ministry.
[3] Kiki:
Ministry?
[4] Sharon: Ministry of Sound. A club in London. Heard of it?
[5] Kiki:
I've been clubbing in London before.
[6] Sharon: Where to?
[7] Kiki:
Why do you want to know?
[8] Sharon: Well, I may have been there.
[9] Kiki:
It was called 'The End'.
[10] Sharon: Nice one!
[11] Kiki:
I hope you have a good time at the Ministry.
(Contributed by Kelly-Jay Marshall)
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, p. 71.
Contextual Meaning
“These observations show that the meaning of an
utterance is not fully determined by the words that are
used: there is a gap between the meaning of the words
used by the speaker and the thought that the speaker
intends to represent by using those words on a
particular occasion. More technically, the linguistic
meaning of an utterance underdetermines the
communicator's intended meaning. This gap is filled by
the addressee's reasoning about what the
communicator (may have) intended to communicate by
his or her utterance. Hence, pragmatics plays a role in
explaining how the thought expressed by a given
utterance on a given occasion is recovered by the
addressee.”
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, p. 73.
Cultural Literacy Knowledge
Background: Louis Warren is the publisher for
the author Appin Dungannon. Everyone hates
Dungannon because he is a vile human being.
Warren also hates him. Warren goes to
Dungannon's hotel room where he discovers
that Dungannon has been murdered.

“Louis Warren kept staring at the body, idly
wondering if he had two more wishes coming.”
McCrumb, Sharyn. 1988. Bimbos of the Death Sun. New York: Ballantine Books, p. 114.
Cooperative Principle of
Conversation
" 'Make your conversational contribution
such as is required, at the stage at
which it occurs, by the accepted
purpose or direction of the talk
exchange in which you are engaged.'
(Grice, 1989: 26)"
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, p. 73.
Grice’s Maxims of
Conversation
1. Truthfulness
2. Informativeness
3. Relevance
4. Style
Quality
Quantity
Relation
Manner
Explaining the Impact
of Social Factors
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Politeness Principle
Pragmalinguistic Perspective
Sociopragmatic Perspective
Face Model of Politeness
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, pp. 75-77.
Getting Something at the Table
I am eating at a table with other people. I want the
salt. It is relatively far from me. What can I do /
what should I do or say?
1. Reach for it. [Not in chapter.]
2. Stand up and reach for it.
3. Reach and say: "Pardon my boarding
house reach." [Not in chapter.]
4. Say: "Pass the salt, will you?"
5. Say: "Can you pass the salt, please."
6. Say: "I like my food quite salty."
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, p. 76.
Pragmatics and Language
Learning and Teaching

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Possibility (or likelihood) of pragmatic
transfer
Pragmatic proficiency and the value of
language instruction
Materials and methods for developing
pragmatic proficiency
Pragmatic performance and learner
identity
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2010. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 5, pp. 70-88.
London: Hodder Education, pp. 81-86.
Implications for Language
Teaching, Learning, and Use
 The Importance of Context
 The Complexity of Meaning
Construction
 The Impact of Speech Act Theory
 Sociolinguistic Rules [NOT in Chapter]
 The Possibility (or Likelihood) of
Pragmatic Transfer)
 People's Sensitivities to Face
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2002. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, pp. 74-91. An Introduction to Applied Linguistics. London: Arnold, Chapter
5, pp. 86-89.
Sociopragmatic Issues—
What and What Not to Teach
Consider whether you should teach students to do the
following; especially when you know their culture
differs in the way it approaches these issues.
…say "Bless you" after someone sneezes
…call you by your first name
…say "thank you" in response to a
compliment
…insist people respond positively to offers
…give fewer compliments that others may
take as insincere
…be more open on taboo subject
Spencer-Oatey, Helen & Vladimir Zegarac. 2002. Pragmatics. In Norbert Schmitt,
editor, pp. 74-91. An Introduction to Applied Linguistics. London: Arnold, Chapter 5,
p. 89. With additions by R. L. Good.