1. Chapter 8: Language in Use1

3. Contents Introduction Speech Act Theory
The Theory of Conversational Implicature
Post-Gricean Development

4. Lead-in……
Oh Yeah…….
Pragmatics?
Semantics?
Meaning?

5. Pragmatics Semantics conversational implicature Abstract Concrete
Explicit
Concrete
Implicit
该来的没有来，不该走的倒走了。
Man: Do you love me?
Woman: Well, I like you.
conversational implicature

6. 8.1.1 Definition of Pragmatics
The study of language in use.
The study of meaning in context.
The study of speakers’ meaning, utterance meaning, & contextual meaning.

7. Definition of Pragmatics
A general definition:
the study of how speakers of a language use sentences to effect successful communication.
Dai Weidong, 2001, p84

8. Speaker’s meaning
(A father is trying to get his 3-year-old daughter to stop lifting up her dress to display her new underwear to the assemble.)
Father: We don’t DO that.
Daughter: I KNOW, Daddy.
You don’t WEAR dresses.

9. A little boy comes in the front door.
Mother: Wipe your feet, please.
He removes his muddy shoes and socks and carefully wipes his clean feet on the doormat.

10. Sentence meaning: What does X mean?
Utterance meaning: What do you mean by X?
Dog!
My bag is heavy.
“Janet! Donkeys!”

11. Pragmatics 1. A: Are you going to the seminar? B: It’s on linguistics.
2. A: Would you like some coffee?
B: Coffee would keep me awake.
3. A: 我带的钱不够，今天买不了。
B: 那就下次再买吧。

12. It’s cold in here.

13. Contextual Meaning: meaning in context
The meaning of the sentence depends on who the speaker is , who the hearer is, when and where it is used.
It was a hot Christmas day so we went down to the beach in the afternoon and had a good time swimming and surfing.

14. 8.1.2 Semantics and Pragmatics
1. Semantics: The meaning of language was considered as something intrinsic , and inherent, i.e., a property attached to language itself. Therefore, meanings of words, sentences were all studied in isolation from language use.
2. Pragmatics: It would be impossible to give an adequate description of meaning if the context of language use is left unconsidered. Therefore, context is taken into consideration.

15. Key in the distinction
Both semantics and pragmatics study the meaning of a linguistic form.
However, they are different in many respects, such as their research methods, their research scope. What essentially distinguishes them is whether in the study of meaning the context of use is considered.
If it its not considered, the study is confined to the area of traditional semantics;
If it is considered, the study is being carried out in the area of pragmatics.