Pragmática Notes PDF

# Pragmática ## What is pragmatics? - A branch of linguistics that studies the use of language in specific contexts. - Focuses on how the meaning of words and phrases is affected by the context in which they are used. - In other words, pragmatics is interested in how people use language to communi...

# Pragmática ## What is pragmatics? - A branch of linguistics that studies the use of language in specific contexts. - Focuses on how the meaning of words and phrases is affected by the context in which they are used. - In other words, pragmatics is interested in how people use language to communicate effectively, taking into account the context in which they are communicating. ## Object of study of pragmatics - Studies **extralinguistic phenomena** that determine the use of language, specifically all those factors that cannot be referenced in a grammatical study, such as: - The speaker - The listener - The communicative intention - The verbal context - The situation - Knowledge of the world - Pragmatics is concerned with the correct interpretation of utterances in communicative interaction (Payrató, 2018, page 12). ## Importance of pragmatics - Pragmatics is important because it helps us understand messages by considering the context, past experiences, and non-verbal factors like gestures, intonation, and the place where communication occurs. - Pragmatics allows us to interpret messages. For example, "You cook well" can be a positive message when said to someone who knows how to cook, but could mean the opposite if the person prepared a burnt dish. The context of the message, as well as the tone and the situation, help us understand the true meaning. ## Context - Includes the **place** and **time** where speakers are. ## Speakers - Their **experiences** and **prior knowledge** influence how a message is understood. ## Relationship between the speakers - Depending on the **information** each speaker has, the meaning of a message can be different. ## Utterance - The same phrase can be used in different contexts. For example, "Can I have a coffee" may be appropriate in a coffee shop but not during a visit with acquaintances. ## Communicative intention - Everything is used to express and communicate, and can give a message different meanings. ## Analysis of the study of context - Provides valuable information for understanding the message, including: - **Irony**: "I am so good at presenting!" (with a sarcastic tone, knowing that they are not a good presenter). - **Phrases/idioms**: Used as a form of communication, such as the idiom "A different story would be told", meaning that something could have been different. - **Proverbs**: Specific to a language, and their meaning is not always clear, like the Spanish proverb "En casa de herrero, cuchillo de palo" (In the blacksmith's house, a knife made of wood), which is often used to criticize people who are not concerned with the important aspects of their work. ## What aspects of language can be investigated from pragmatics? - Any type of **pragmatic marker**, including logical connectors. - **Elements of cohesion**, such as referents, anaphors, cataphors and ellipsis. - **Deictic elements**, including person, place, and time. - **Speech acts**. - **Formulas of politeness**: How to manage the image of the interlocutors. - **Any expressive or stylistic resource**: Including aspects related to the suprasegments (prosody and non-verbal elements) in texts. ## Speech acts - **John Austin (1911-1960)** proposes three types of speech acts: - **Locutionary act**: The act of speaking itself. - **Illocutionary act**: The intended effect of the speaker. - **Perlocutionary act**: The actual effect on the listener. - **Examples of illocutionary acts**: - **Judicative acts**: Condemn, acquit, evaluate, decree, etc. - **Exercitative acts**: Designate, vote, degrade, advise, etc. - **Commissive acts**: Greet, congratulate, praise, curse, etc. - **Expositive acts**: Affirm, deny, concede, respond, exemplify, etc. ## The theory of J. Searle - Establishes rules and conditions for speech acts, including: - **Emission**: The physical act of producing sound. - **Proposition**: The content of the utterance. - **Illocution**: The speaker's intention. - **Perlocution**: The effect of the utterance on the listener. - Searle also classifies speech acts according to their illocutionary force: - **Assertives**: Declarations. - **Directives**: Instructions or requests. - **Expressives**: Expressions of emotions. - **Commissives**: Promises or commitments.