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Disourse and PragmaticsLIN 207

Unit IntroductionWeek 1 of 14

Doctor, my sister married the man my sister was engaged to. The man my sister was engaged to was ill at the time, and my sister married the man my sister was engaged to so that my sister might tend and comfort the man my sister was engaged to in our cottage. My sister had not been married many weeks when that mans younger brother saw my sister and was struck by my sisters beauty. Then with that mans permission and even with that mans help, that mans younger brother seized my sister and took my sister away. Simplify this passage. How did you this? Why?

Discourse is language above the sentence or above the clause (Stubbs, 1983: 1). 1960s grammarians became convinced of the usefulness of considering stretches longer than individual sentences in their analyses, at least two terms came to be used in parallel fashion: text linguistics and discourse analysis. The study of discourse is the study of any aspect of language use (Fasold, 1990)Definition of Discourse

Discourse written and spoken DiscourseSpeaker/ writerHearer/ readerContext

Definition of Discourse

In threes write a text that is meaningful and one which is not?

The paragraphs can be 4 to 6 sentences long.

Compare the two passages to see which one is meaningful. Why?Pick up a handful of soil in your garden. Ordinary, unexciting earth. Yet it is one of Natures miracles, and one of her most complex products. Your success as a gardener will largely depend upon its condition, so take the first bold step in gardeningget to know your soil. Fertilizers put back what the rain and plants take away. Plastic pots are not just substitutes for clay ones. Pears are a little more temperamental than apples. Supporting and training are not quite the same thing.

Discourse refers to any utterance which is meaningful. These texts can be:written texts- oral texts (speech/talk)- mixed written/oral texts (e.g. Internet chat)Discourse does not depend on the size of a text(P and Ladies can both be analysed as discourse)

Definition of Discourse

Discourse is language above the sentence or above the clause (Stubbs, 1983: 1).

1960s grammarians became convinced of the usefulness of considering stretches longer than individual sentences in their analyses, at least two terms came to be used in parallel fashion: text linguistics and discourse analysis.

Originally, some people preferred to use text to refer to written language and kept discourse strictly for oral production.

However, we do not make any distinctions between text linguistics and discourse analysis, and between discourse and text, because they are now often used interchangeably.

Discourse Analysis:Wikipedia: a general term for a number of approaches to analyzing written, spoken, signed language use or any significant semiotic event.Discourse analysis is sometimes defined as the analysis of language 'beyond the sentence'. This contrasts with types of analysis more typical of modern linguistics, which are chiefly concerned with the study of grammar: the study of smaller bits of language, such as sounds (phonetics and phonology), parts of words (morphology), meaning (semantics), and the order of words in sentences (syntax). Discourse analysts study larger chunks of language as they flow together.

Deborah Tannen (From Linguistic Society of America web)

Discourse analysis (DA), is a general term for a number of approaches to analyzing written, vocal, or sign language use or any significant semiotic event.Discourse analysis is the study of how sentences in spoken and written language form larger meaningful units such as paragraphs, conversations, interviews, etc.The goal of discourse analysis is to examine how the reader or user of a discourse recognizes that the words/phrases/sentences in a discourse must be co-interpretedthat parts of a discourse are dependent on others.One of the most important features of discourse is that they have cohesion. Besides, some other topics of discourse analysis include information structure, coherence, discourse markers, conversational analysis. Discourse Analysis

As linguists, to find out how language works, to improve our understanding of an important kind of human activity

As educators, to find out how good texts work, so that we can focus on teaching our students these writing/speaking strategies.

As critical analysts, to discover meanings in the text which are not obvious on the surface (e.g., analysing a politicians speech to see their preconceptions).Why do we study Discourse Analysis?

A.: I have a 14 year old sonB.: Well thats rightA.: I also have an anacondaB.: Oh, Im sorry

Can you understand the meaning of this exchange?this exchange is not clear. Why?

A is trying to rent an apartment from B.B doesnt accept pets.PRAGMATICS

Pragmatics is the study of meaning in context dependent on the intentions of participants in a conversational exchangeContext , intentions and shared knowledge are the keywords. Also cultural implications play an important role.If we dont have a context or some knowledge about a situation, the meaning can be invisible as in the previous example. Or - have you seen Sam? - the black car is over there.

This seemingly incoherent text can be easily understood if we know that Sam owns a black car.

PRAGMATICS

How does DA relate to Pragmatics?Pragmatics and discourse analysis are approaches to studying langauges relation to contextual background features.

Both Pragmatics and DA studyContextTextFunction

ContextAnalysing the parts of meaning that can be explained by knowledge of the phyiscal and social world, the socio-psychological factors influencing communicationKnowledge of the time and place in which the words are uttered or written.The speakers meaning is dependent on assumptions of knowledge that are shared by both speaker and hearerThe speaker constructs the lingusitic message and intends or implies a meaningA hearer interprets the message and infers the meaning .Similarities between DA and Pragmatics

TextBoth pragmatics and DA look at discourse or the use of langauge, and texts, or pieces of spoken or written discourse, concentrating on how stretches of langauge become meaningful and unified for their users.Discourse analysis calls the quality of being meaningful and unified coherencePragmatics calls it relevance.Similarities between DA and Pragmatics

FunctionBoth DA and pragmatics are also concerned with function.The speakers short-term purposes in speaking and long term goals in itneracting verbally.The Queenss purpsoe was to stop the courtiers trying to make her laugh and to make them respect her.Similarities between DA and Pragmatics

It is in its emphasis on the structure of the text.DA studies how large chunks of langauge beyond the sentence level are organised how the social transaction imposes a framework on discourse.

Conversation analysis: Victorias response to the joke was not the preferred response. (laughter was expected).Her reprimand predicts an apology in response.

The difference between DA and pragmatics

Pragmatics differs from DA in the importance given to the social principles of discourse.

Pragmatics can explain the example as thusThe Queen complied with the social maxims fo the Cooperative Principle being relevant, precise, clear and sincereshe obeyed the social pronciples of the Politeness Principle in that her request for the courtiers to stop is indirect, which aims to avoid offense.

The difference between DA and pragmatics