Linguistics and Pragmatics Overview
40 Questions
1 Views

Linguistics and Pragmatics Overview

Created by
@LavishSage

Podcast Beta

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is pragmatics primarily concerned with?

  • The structure of sentences
  • The rules of phonology
  • The study of language use in context (correct)
  • The literal meaning of words

    • What does the term 'idiolect' refer to?

  • The study of phonology
  • An individual's unique system of language (correct)
  • A specific grammatical structure
  • The shared dialect of a community

    • Which of the following best describes 'performance' in linguistics?

  • The study of syntax and morphology
  • The theoretical analysis of linguistic structures
  • The flawless knowledge of language rules
  • The actual use of language, including errors (correct)

    • What are garden-path sentences known for?

    <p>Leading readers to an incorrect interpretation initially</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the distinction between competence and performance in linguistics?

    <p>Competence concerns flawless knowledge of language, performance relates to actual language use</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of prosody in linguistics?

    <p>The associations of intonational contours with meanings</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which aspect of linguistics is NOT typically included in the study?

    <p>Cognitive neuroscience</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which field is concerned with the meanings associated with individual words and morphemes?

    <p>Lexical semantics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does pragmatics primarily study?

    <p>Meanings inferred based on contextual factors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does pragmatics differ from semantics?

    <p>Pragmatics focuses on context-dependent meaning whereas semantics addresses literal meaning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does discourse analysis differ from pragmatics?

    <p>It studies larger strings of sentences within connected discourse</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What might interfere with someone's performance in language?

    <p>Speech errors and interruptions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main methodological approach of pragmatics?

    <p>Descriptive, documenting language as it is used</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does sentential semantics focus on?

    <p>The conventions associated with sentence structures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes the relationship between pragmatics and discourse analysis?

    <p>Pragmatics uses discourse as data, whereas discourse analysis applies pragmatics to specific cases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What question does discourse analysis primarily seek to answer?

    <p>What’s happening in this discourse?</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'sow' refer to in the given context?

    <p>Adult female porcine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following has a positive indication for female in the category of human?

    <p>Woman</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the discussion, which food item led to a legal dispute regarding its classification?

    <p>Burrito</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one proposed alternative to componential semantics mentioned in the content?

    <p>Fuzzy sets</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a factor in determining whether an item is classified as a sandwich?

    <p>Must have two slices of bread</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the componential semantics framework, how is the meaning of a lexical item evaluated?

    <p>By its set of semantic features</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which animal appears to require an additional feature in the context discussed?

    <p>Sow</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the basis of Panera Bread's legal argument regarding burritos?

    <p>Burritos are considered sandwiches</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the observer's paradox refer to?

    <p>The presence of an observer influences behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key method used to determine how people identify words?

    <p>Lexical decision task</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does eye-tracking apparatus measure?

    <p>Where a subject is looking at a specific moment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How can elicitation improve upon intuitions in language research?

    <p>By ensuring subjects are unaware they are being observed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of using naturally occurring data in linguistic studies?

    <p>To observe language in natural settings without interference.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In William Labov's dialect study, what was he primarily trying to elicit from store workers?

    <p>The phrase 'fourth floor'.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What limitation does natural observation in language research have?

    <p>It could take a long time to gather enough data.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What might affect people's accuracy in reporting their speech patterns?

    <p>Their level of attention at the moment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do linguists observe about speakers regarding the splitting of infinitives?

    <p>Speakers consistently split their infinitives without instruction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How are the maxims of the Cooperative Principle best described?

    <p>As descriptive observations of typical speaker behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary limitation of using native-speaker intuition in research?

    <p>It is biased and may confirm existing hypotheses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What method can improve the reliability of data collected from native speakers?

    <p>Gathering intuitions from a group of informants.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a method traditionally used by linguists to study language use?

    <p>Imposing artificial rules in communication.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of linguistic research, what is meant by 'naturally occurring data'?

    <p>Data collected from real-life conversations and interactions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why might informants report their speech as more correct than it actually is?

    <p>They may consciously or unconsciously wish to impress the researcher.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one important function of a researcher’s personal intuition during the initial research stage?

    <p>It helps in guiding hypothesis development effectively.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Linguistics and Pragmatics

    • Linguistics is the study of language, focusing on sound systems, word structure, and sentence structure.
    • The distinction between linguistic competence and performance is important. Competence refers to the internalized knowledge of language rules, while performance is the actual linguistic behavior, including errors.
    • Pragmatics is the study of language use in context, while semantics focuses on literal meaning independent of context.
    • Pragmatics is closely related to discourse analysis, a field studying strings of sentences in connected discourse. Both study language use in context but differ in focus. Pragmatics aims for generalizations about linguistic competence, while discourse analysis focuses on specific discourse instances.

    Studying Pragmatics

    • The study of pragmatics is descriptive, focusing on how language is actually used rather than prescribing "correct" usage.
    • Common methods for studying pragmatics include:
      • Native-speaker intuitions:
        • Introspection: Observing one's own intuitions
        • Informants: Gathering intuitions from others through questionnaires or interviews
      • Psycholinguistic experimentation: Utilizing controlled experiments like lexical decision tasks or eye-tracking to assess linguistic behavior
      • Naturally occurring data:
        • Elicitation: Creating situations to elicit desired language forms
        • Natural observation: Observing language use in natural settings
        • Corpus data: Analyzing large collections of real-world texts

    The Observer's Paradox

    • The Observer's Paradox acknowledges the potential influence of the observer on the behavior of those being observed. Individuals may adjust their speech to appear more "correct" or conform to perceived expectations.
    • The paradox presents a challenge for studying language naturally, as the presence of a researcher can create an artificial environment.

    Componential Semantics

    • Componential Semantics aims to represent meaning by breaking down words into sets of semantic features. Each feature contributes to the overall meaning of the word.
    • The approach involves analyzing the features that distinguish different words within a class. For example, analyzing features like "[+male]" and "[+adult]" in the words "man" and "woman."
    • A challenge with componential semantics arises when determining the appropriate set of features for certain words, leading to a debate and sometimes inconsistencies in analysis, as in the case of "burrito" being debated as a "sandwich."
    • Fuzzy sets offer an alternative approach to handling such complexities.

    Studying That Suits You

    Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

    Quiz Team

    Related Documents

    Defining Pragmatics PDF

    Description

    This quiz explores key concepts in linguistics, focusing on the distinction between linguistic competence and performance. It delves into pragmatics and its relation to semantics and discourse analysis, highlighting how language is used in context. Test your understanding of these essential linguistic theories.

    More Like This

    Pragmatics in Linguistics Quiz
    5 questions

    Pragmatics in Linguistics Quiz

    EfficientDramaticIrony avatar
    EfficientDramaticIrony
    Pragmatics in Linguistics
    10 questions

    Pragmatics Quiz: Learn Linguistics with Flashcards

    GratifyingJuniper avatar
    GratifyingJuniper
    Pragmatics in Linguistics
    8 questions

    Pragmatics in Linguistics

    LuckiestNeptunium avatar
    LuckiestNeptunium
    Linguistics: Pragmatics
    8 questions

    Linguistics: Pragmatics

    LuckiestNeptunium avatar
    LuckiestNeptunium
    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Open
    Browser
    Browser