Introducing Linguistics Theoretical and Applied Approaches

Chapter 10 introduces readers to pragmatics, the study of meaning in context, and discourse analysis, which addresses language use in context. Both of these subfields of linguistics focus on units or texts larger than the sentence level. The chapter illustrates speech acts and shows how they are fundamental to how we use language to communicate. It examines the role of conversational analysis and what it means for turn taking. Linking to Chapter 6 Semantics, the chapter presents Grice’s Cooperative Principle and its four maxims in depth: quantity, quality, relevance, and manner. Politeness Theory and Impoliteness Theory address how we manage our social identities and those of others through language. These approaches show how our interactions are driven by two basic needs: the need to do as we please and the need to be appreciated by others. Reade are introduced to the concepts of genre and register and their relation to extralinguistic context. Finally, concepts such as coherence and cohesion in texts are examined in detail.