PRAGMATICSPrepared by:

Ahmad Ashari Alias

Sharifah Ajlaa Syed Zulkifli

WHAT IS PRAGMATICS?

What the writer or speaker of those words intended to convey.

The study of invisible meaning. How we recognize what is meant when it

isn’t actually said or written. The study of intended speaker meaning.

CONTEXT

Linguistics context (co-text) Put together with another word Homonym

physical context Location influences the interpretation

DEIXIS

Referring to people and thing Deixis + physical context = meaning

Person deixis ( I, you, him, her, them, etc) Place deixis (here, there, this, that, etc) Time deixis (now, then, yesterday, etc)

FREE BEER TOMORROW You will have to bring that back tomorrow

because they are not here now.

REFERENCE

An act by which a speaker uses language to enable listener to identify something. People things Things people

We saw Shakespeare in London and we enjoyed listening to Mozart last week.

ANAPHORA

Subsequent reference to an already introduced entity. Dr. Dang gave Mary some medicine after she

asked him for it. I was waiting for the bus but he just drove by

without stopping The connection between referent and

anaphora MAY NOT ALWAYS be direct.

PRESUPPOSITION

Commonly use in interrogation. An assumption made by the speaker. What a speaker ASSUMES is true or is known

by the hearer. Background beliefs of the speaker.

My cousin is not a boy anymore. Bob does not regret that he beat his dog. Bob has not stopped beating his dog.

SPEECH ACTS

Actions that are carried out through language. Requesting Commanding Questioning Informing

Indirect speech act: to perform a function other than listed beside it(in the same line)

There is a request behind the utterance.

CONT..SPEECH ACTS

Visitor: Excuse me, do you know where is the Ambassador Hotel is?

Passer by: Oh sure, I know where it is. (and walks away)

Dealing with ability to do something.

POLITENESS

Face threatening act Represent a threat to another person’s self

image. Use direct speech to order someone to do

something. Eg: Give me that paper. (as if you have the

power when you’re not) Face saving act

Lessen the possible threat Indirect speech Eg: Could you pass me that paper please?

CONT…POLITENESS

Negative face Need to be independent and freedom from

imposition. Positive face

Need to be connected, to belong and to be a member of the group.

REFERENCES

O’Grady, Dobrovolsky and Aronoff.(1997) Contemporary Linguistics 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Yule,G (2003) The Study of Language 2nd ed. Cambridge: University Press.

Brown, H.D. (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching 4th ed. New York: Pearson Education