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FACULTY OF THE HUMANITIES

Department of English

ENG214 English Pragmatics

2013 NQF Level: 06 Credits: 16

Dr Nicholus Nyika / Dr Susan Brokensha

Qwaqwa Campus / FGG218

058-7185406 / 051-4013571

[email protected] / [email protected]

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Table of Contents
Page Introduction Topics Additional Assistance Learning Outcomes Critical Outcomes Notional Hours Assessment Semester Test Assignment Assessment Rubric for the Assignment Lecturers responsible for the Course Dispute Clause Plagiarism Prescribed Textbook Schedule Areas of Focus Blackboard Supplementary Materials Appendix A Appendix B 2 2 4 4 5 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 11 11 12 12 53

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ENG214 Course Guide

English Pragmatics

Language is the most massive and inclusive art we know, a mountainous and anonymous work of unconscious generations.
Edward Sapir, Language: an Introduction to the Study of Speech

Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

Introduction
Topics

Welcome to ENG214 English Pragmatics! We trust that you will enjoy this module, and that it will sensitise you to some key concepts in pragmatics and discourse analysis. This module aims to provide you with a comprehensive overview of pragmatics and discourse analysis. Why study pragmatics and discourse analysis in the first place? To answer this question, we first need to define what is meant by these two areas of language study. Obviously, it is not easy to generate a single definition of each approach, but it is safe to say that, while discourse analysis is concerned with the study of language, pragmatics is concerned with the study of language use: discourse analysis is [therefore] a subfield of pragmatics (de Saussure 2007: 179).1 Let us look at a practical example from Joan Cuttings (2008) book, Pragmatics and discourse,2 for the sake of clarity:

Saussure, L. de. 2007. Pragmatic issues in discourse analysis. In Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis Across Disciplines 1(1): 179-195.

Cutting, J. 2008. Pragmatics and discourse: A resource book for students. London and New York: Routledge English Language Introductions.

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In Queen Victoria's famous words 'We are not amused', if we analyse the grammar and say that 'we' is the noun phrase subject of the sentence containing a first person plural pronoun, 'are' is the main verb agreeing with 'we', 'not' is a negative marker, and 'amused' is an adjectival complement, we are doing an analysis of the syntax. Syntax is the way that words relate to each other, without taking into account the world outside; it includes grammar, and does not consider who said it to whom, where, when or why. Returning to the Queen Victoria example, if we analyse the meaning of her words in isolation, and say that 'we' indicates the person speaking, 'are' identifies a state rather than an action, and 'amused' has a sense synonymous with 'entertained' or 'distracted', we are looking at the semantics. Semantics is the study of what the words mean by themselves, out of context, as they are in a dictionary. Semanticists would not consider, here, the contextual background features about Queen Victoria and her courtiers, or why she said this. Moving on to what pragmatics and discourse analysis are, we can start by saying that they are approaches to studying language's relation to the contextual background features. They would take into account the fact that, in the example, Victoria had been in a prolonged depression, caused by the death of her husband Albert, and her courtiers knew this, and that her words were a response to a joke which they had just made. Analysts would infer that the Queen's intention was to stop them trying to make her laugh and lift her out of the depression, and that her statement implies a reminder that she has to be respected as Queen. Pragmatics and discourse analysis have much in common: they both study context, text and function. First, let us look at context. Both pragmatics and discourse analysis study the meaning of words in context, analysing the parts of meaning that can be explained by knowledge of the physical and social world, and the socio-psychological factors influencing communication, as well as the knowledge of the time and place in which the words are uttered or written (Stilwell Peccei 1999; Yule 1996). Both approaches focus on the meaning of words in interaction and how interactors communicate more information than the words they use. The speaker's meaning is dependent on assumptions of knowledge that are shared by both speaker and hearer: the speaker constructs the linguistic message and intends or implies a meaning, and the hearer interprets the message and infers the meaning (Brown and Yule 1983; Thomas 1995). The second feature that pragmatics and discourse analysis have in common is that they both look at discourse, or the use of language, and text, or pieces of spoken or written discourse, concentrating on how stretches of language become meaningful and unified for their users (Cook 1989). Discourse analysis calls the quality of being 'meaningful and unified' coherence; pragmatics calls it relevance. Both approaches would take into account the fact that Victoria's words were intended to be seen as relevant to the courtiers' joke and to anything that they should say afterwards Finally, pragmatics and discourse analysis have in common the fact that they are both concerned with function: the speakers' short-term purposes in speaking, and long-term goals in interacting verbally (Cutting 2008: 1-2).

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Additional Assistance
Assignment help: To help you with the assignment (see Assessment), this component of ENG214 contains an article (Appendix A) in which the researchers look, amongst other things, at the use of deixis to construct so-called in- and out-group status. Referencing help: Appendix B will help you reference your sources correctly.

Learning Outcomes
On completion of Cuttings (2008) textbook, you should be able to:

explain the key concepts of context and co-text, speech acts, conversation, the co-operative principle, and politeness in pragmatics and discourse analysis; and

use these concepts to analyse a variety of texts.

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Critical Outcomes
This component of ENG214 will help you:

identify and solve problems as well as make decisions using critical and creative thinking;

work effectively with others as members of a group;

organise and manage yourself and your activities responsibly and effectively;

collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information;

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communicate effectively using visual and language skills in the written mode; and

demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

Notional Hours
ENG214 is a 16-credit module. However, since the module is divided into pragmatics and literature, the credits are shared. This means that the pragmatics component reflects 8 credits or 80 notional hours which are allocated as follows: Attending and participating in lectures: Studying for the test:3 Writing tests: Writing the assignment: Self-study: Troubleshooting (during consultation hours): TOTAL NUMBER OF NOTIONAL HOURS: 11 Hours 12 Hours 02 Hours 15 Hours 30 Hours 10 Hours 80 Hours

You will write one semester test and if you miss this test for medical or other legitimate reasons, then you will need to write the aegrotat test at the end of the semester.

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Assessment
Please note that the promotion system does NOT apply to this module: You must write the examination at the end of the semester. During the course of the semester, you will write a semester test and complete one assignment. The test totals 50 marks and the assignment 50 marks. In other words, your final semester mark is out of 100.

Semester Test
The semester test aims to test your mastery of the key concepts you have been introduced to. At the same time, the test also has a practical section which tests your ability to apply the various concepts to real-life texts.

Assignment
Due date: Length: Instructions: 19 April by 17:00 At least 4-5 typed pages Use your knowledge of deixis to analyse a political speech of your choice. Take a specific look at how the speaker uses deixis to create us and them constructions. Please note that this assignment requires creativity, a great deal of thought, and additional research. Look at the article in Appendix A which will provide you with useful information about deixis.

Guidelines:

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Assessment Rubric for the Assignment

The response exceeds expectations meets expectations is average Description The student uses words and terms with precision. The student provides more than enough examples from the chosen speech. The student uses words and terms with overall accuracy. The student provides adequate examples of deixis from the chosen speech. The student uses words and terms with some accuracy. The student provides some examples of deixis from the chosen speech, but more examples would have been welcome. The student uses words or terms vaguely or imprecisely. The student provides very few examples of deixis from the chosen speech. The student uses words or terms so imprecisely as to obscure overall meaning. The student provides virtually no examples of deixis from the chosen speech. Plagiarism Omission of a reference list Mark range (25) 19-25 (76%-100%) 17.5-18.5 (70%-74%) 15-17 (60%-68%) 12.5-14.5) (50%-58%) 0-12 (0%-48%)

is below expectations is inadequate

0% -5

Lecturers Responsible for the Course

Dr Nicholus Nyika and Dr Susan Brokensha are responsible for the pragmatics component of ENG214, and their details are on the front cover of this course guide. Please do not hesitate to contact them if you require any assistance at all.

Dispute Clause
Make sure that you contact the lecturers in good time if you experience any problems with the module; please do not wait until the end of the semester to do so.

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Plagiarism
Remember that plagiarism is not only unethical, but also illegal, and is regarded as a criminal offence in terms of South Africas Copyright Act 98 of 1978. In simple terms, plagiarism involves using someone elses ideas without acknowledge them and pretending that they are your own ideas. Depending on the degree of plagiarism involved, your written work could receive a mark of zero. If you need to know more about plagiarism and how to avoid it, visit http://www.ufs.ac.za/dl/userfiles/Documents/00000/364_eng.pdf. This site reflects the UFSs policy on plagiarism. You will notice that the UFS has identified four levels of plagiarism. This course guide ends with notes on the Harvard system of referencing. Work carefully through the guidelines provided so that you can steer clear of plagiarism.

Prescribed Textbook
Please note that you need to purchase the following textbook:

Cutting, J. 2008. Pragmatics and discourse: A resource book for students. New York: Routlegde. Second Edition.

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Schedule
For the language component of ENG214, you need to attend one class (day or evening).
Week of 1 2 3 4 1 February 4 February 11 February 18 February Lectures Commences Welcome / Orientation Context; Co-text; and Speech Acts (Lecture 1) Context; Co-text; and Speech Acts (Lecture 1 Continued) Conversation, the Cooperative principle, and Politeness (Lecture 2) Conversation, the Cooperative principle, and Politeness (Lecture 2 Continued) Semester Test Revision Semester Test Topics

25 February

4 March

7 8 Semester Test Week 9

11 March 18 March

25 March

Semester Test Feedback and Analysing the Discourse in Context, Using Speech Acts, and The Pragmatics of Conversation (Lecture 3) RECESS

10 11 Assignment Submission Week

9 April 15 April

Assignment Brainstorming Analysing the Discourse in Context, Using Speech Acts, and The Pragmatics of Conversation (Lecture 3) Submit assignment (Wooden box next to FGG218) by 1:00

12

22 April

Assignment Feedback and Exam Revision

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13

29 April

Aegrotat Test

Areas of Focus
The concepts that ENG214 focuses on are the same as those in Joan Cuttings (2008) textbook. Section A focuses on the concepts you need to master, while Section B provides you with the opportunity to apply your new-found knowledge to a variety of texts.

Introduction: Concepts in pragmatics and discourse

1 2 3 4 5

Context and co-text Speech acts Conversation The Cooperative Principle Politeness

Development: Studies in pragmatics

1 2 3

Analysing the discourse in context Using speech acts The pragmatics of conversation

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Blackboard
Any additional materials will be made available via Blackboard.

Supplementary Materials
Appendix A The article by Noriega and Iribarren (2011) in Appendix A will help you when it comes to analysing deixis. Pages 3, 6, 7-8, 10, 34, and 36-37 are particularly relevant in this regard.

Noriega, C.A. and Iribarren, F.J. 2011. Quantifying hate speech on commercial talk radio: A pilot study. CSRC Working Paper: 1-42.

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Appendix B
The following information comes from http://files.ithuta.net/OpenJournals/HTS/Author/HTSREF.pdf.

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