Disourse and Pragmatics

LIN 207
Unit Introduction
Week 1 of 14

Simplify this passage. How did you this?

Why?
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.

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.
The study of discourse is the study of any
aspect of language use (Fasold, 1990)

Definition of Discourse
Discourse written and spoken
Speaker/
writer

Hearer/ reader
Discourse
Context

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?

a. 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.
b. 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.

Definition of Discourse
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)

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:
a general term for a number of
approaches to analyzing written, spoken,
signed language use or any significant
semiotic event.
Wikipedia:

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
o 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.
o Discourse analysis is the study of how
sentences in spoken and written language form
larger meaningful units such as paragraphs,
conversations, interviews, etc.
o 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.
o One of the most important features of
discourse is that they have cohesion. Besides,
some other topics of discourse analysis include

Why do we study Discourse Analysis?

1. As linguists, to find out how language works,
to improve our understanding of an important
kind of human activity
2. As educators, to find out how good texts
work, so that we can focus on teaching our
students these writing/speaking strategies.
3. 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).

PRAGMATICS
Can you understand the meaning of
this exchange?
A.: I have a 14 year old son
B.: Well thats right
A.: I also have an anaconda
B.: Oh, Im sorry
this exchange is not clear. Why?
A is trying to rent an apartment from B.
B doesnt accept pets.

PRAGMATICS
o Pragmatics is the study of meaning in context
dependent on the intentions of participants in a
conversational exchange
o Context , intentions and shared knowledge are
the keywords. Also cultural implications play an
important role.
o If we dont have a context or some knowledge about
a situation, the meaning can be invisible as in the
previous example.
o 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.

w does DA relate to Pragmatics?

Pragmatics and discourse analysis are approaches to
studying langauges relation to contextual
background features.
Both Pragmatics and DA
study
Context
Text
Function

milarities between DA and Pragmatics

1. Context
o.Analysing the parts of meaning that can be
explained by knowledge of the phyiscal and social
world, the socio-psychological factors influencing
communication
o.Knowledge of the time and place in which the
words are uttered or written.
o.The speakers meaning is dependent on
assumptions of knowledge that are shared by both
speaker and hearer
o.The speaker constructs the lingusitic message
and intends or implies a meaning
o.A hearer interprets the message and infers the
meaning .

milarities between DA and Pragmatics

2. Text
o.Both 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.
o.Discourse analysis calls the quality
of being meaningful and unified
coherence
o.Pragmatics calls it relevance.

milarities between DA and Pragmatics

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

The
difference
pragmatics

between

DA

and

o It is in its emphasis on the structure of the

text.
o DA studies how large chunks of langauge
beyond the sentence level are organised how
the social transaction imposes a framework on
discourse.
o Conversation analysis: Victorias response to
the joke was not the preferred response.
(laughter was expected).
o Her reprimand predicts an apology in response.

The
difference
pragmatics

between

DA

and

Pragmatics differs from DA in the importance given

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