122056 PS PS Linguistics (2021S)

The linguistic field of pragmatics investigates how language is used in social context and “how more gets communicated than is said” (Yule 1996: 3). Taking the study of pragmatics as an example, this course provides students with insights into one area of linguistics research and prepares them for their first small-scale research project.

In this course, students will become familiar with key-concepts and theories in pragmatics (e.g. Speech Acts, Politeness, Cooperative Principle) and develop necessary skills to conduct linguistic research.

Some of the questions we will address in the course of this term are:
- What do people actually mean by what they say in a specific context?
- How is meaning inferred by the addressee?
- What types of data can be used for empirical research in pragmatics?

In addition to exploring these questions, participants will also learn how to find relevant literature on a specific research topic/question, critically analyze and reflect on existing research in the field and gain first experience in planning, conducting and writing up a small-scale linguistic research project.

This course combines lecturer input, sample analyses of relevant material, assignments, group work, discussions, and student presentations.