Lecture 1. Pragmatics. Definitions and Background.

Outline.

1. Definition of pragmatics.

2. Origins.

3. Areas of interest.

4. The essentials of communication.

1. Pragmatics is the study of meaning comprehension in language use, as well as in some non-verbal sign systems. Main topics in pragmatics include communication models, deixis, implicature, presupposition, speech acts, discourse analysis, and conversational structure .

The ability to understand another speaker's intended meaning is called pragmatic competence. An utterance describing pragmatic function is described as metapragmatic. Another perspective is that pragmatics deals with the ways we reach our goal in communication. Pragmatics is regarded as one of the most challenging aspects for language learners to grasp, and can only truly be learned with experience. Pragmatics deals with the structural ambiguity in a sentence.

2. Pragmatics was a reaction to structuralist linguistics outlined by Ferdinand de Saussure. In many cases, it expanded upon his idea that language has an analyzable structure, composed of parts that can be defined in relation to others. Pragmatics first engaged only in synchronic study, as opposed to examining the historical development of language. Meanwhile, historical pragmatics has also come into being.

3. Pragmatics differs from linguistics in its main areas of interest, which are:

• The study of the speaker's meaning, which means focusing not on the phonetic or grammatical form of an utterance, but instead on what are the speaker's intentions and beliefs.

• The study of the meaning in its context, and the influence that a given context can have on the message. It requires knowledge of the speaker's identities, and the place and time of the utterance.

• The study of implicatures, i.e. the things that are communicated even though they are not explicitly expressed.

• The study of the relative distance, both social and physical, between speakers in order to understand what determines the choice of what is said and what is not said.

4. Communication is a deliberate or accidental transfer of meaning. Human com­munication takes place interpersonally (one to one), in small groups one to a few), and in public forums (one to many). The essential elements of communi­cation are people, messages, channels, noise, a context, feedback, and some effect or result. Models of communication have been developed to illustrate the process.

All acts of communication share two general characteristics: (1) Since communication is a dynamic process, each interaction is part of a series of interconnected communication events. (2) Every communication experience is unique, unrepeatable, and irreversible. Communication has a number of essen­tial functions in our lives. It promotes self-other understanding, helps us estab­lish meaningful relationships, and enables us to examine and attempt to change the attitudes and behavior of others.

Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson have developed five basic axioms that fur­ther clarify the communication process: (1) You cannot not communicate. (2) Every interaction has both a content and a relationship dimension. (3) Every interaction is denned by the way it is punctuated. (4) Messages are digital and analogic (verbal and nonverbal). (5) Communication exchanges are either symmetrical or complementary.

Developing communication skills is a lifelong process. This book explains the strategies you can use to assess your own communication abilities, improve the effectiveness of your communication relationships, and enhance the quality of your life.

Lecture 2. Space and Distance: Proxemic and Environmental Factors.