Pragmatics and Context

Question 1

Pragmatics features

Answer 1

Implicature: what we mean rather than say
Inferences: interpreting what others mean
Politeness: using appropriate register/phrases to be polite ; learning to accommodate other’s needs (positive and negative face)
Conversation management and turn-taking (knowing when to speak i.e. social cues)

Question 2

Goffman’s Face theory 1955

Answer 2

Face saving: limit imposition on the audience e.g. manners, greeting, agree, questioning
Face threatening acts: name calling, disobedience, talking back, protesting, command

Question 3

Brown and Levinson’s politeness

Answer 3

Positive face: an individuals need to feel valued, liked and appreciated
Negative: an individuals need to not feel imposed on or have their freedom or action threatened

Question 4

Hedging

Answer 4

Mitigating imperatives alter the strength of a demand by adding one of these words: ‘I just wanted to’, ‘Actually I wanted’

Question 5

Paul Grice’s four maxims

Answer 5

Quantity
Quality
Relation
Manner

Question 6

Ananlysing pragmatics

Answer 6

• who participates
• what is the relationship
• what is the setting
• developmental stage
• other contextual factors e.g. distractions that may affect the data (analysis through their speech)