Sunday, July 5, 2009

13. Pragmatics

We talk to others, to our pets and even to ourselves. It is a fact that since human started to make contact, to live with others and to communicate his taught, feelings and needs; he has created language. Language gives human the means by which he negotiate (tell, say) meaning through symbols and signs. Every single word opens a view to us. The choice of word could be way toward insight of man. The identity of man could be explained through the language, he/she expresses. Language is an activity and it is not only a set of grammar or rules to be considered. How people communicate and interact signify the fact that human can use words, gestures, silence and so on to mean something to affect somebody and to produce certain effect. It shows the importance of verbal and nonverbal effect. Because they are referring to a simple word, slight smile, a long pause or a deep silence, it is full of layers of intention, ideas, feelings, thoughts and activities.

Pragmatics is the science of utterances meaning beyond the sentence meaning and it studies the role which context plays in an utterances meaning. George Yule in the book “Linguistics” defines Pragmatics as: “Concerned with study of meaning as communicated by speaker/writer and interpreted by a listener/reader”.Pragmatics is the study of speaker meaning. Therefore, context is important because its influence is on the meaning. It requires a consideration of how speaker organize what they want to say in accordance with who they are talking to, where, when and under what condition. Pragmatics is the study of contextual meaning.

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