122051 PS PS Linguistics (BEd) (2024W)

How can we convey what we mean without explicitly saying it? How do we subtly fine-tune our language to communicate effectively in a given situation? What, beyond semantic meaning, affects the interactional function of our utterances? And how can we systematically study these phenomena by analyzing different types of language data?

In this course, we will theorize meaning as “a dynamic process, involving the negotiation of meaning between speaker and hearer, the context of utterance (physical, social, and linguistic), and the meaning potential of an utterance” (Thomas 1995: 22). We will begin by reading and discussing key theories in pragmatics and exploring frameworks that can help us systematically answer questions in this field of linguistics.
For example, in the theoretical part of the proseminar, we will examine how to account for the meanings of utterances rather than sentences, how linguistic elements cue relationships between what is said or written and the context, and how language can be strategically manipulated to influence the situations in which it is used. We will then move on to practical questions concerning the collection and analysis of various types of language data, preparing students to undertake their own small-scale pragmatic research projects.

In addition to introducing students to pragmatic research, this course will guide them toward becoming proficient in linguistic research and scholarship more generally. This will include essential skills such as finding reliable sources, effectively and ethically integrating others’ ideas into their own arguments, planning and implementing a research project involving data analysis, and presenting findings convincingly in the form of a research paper.