Course Catalogue

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Pragmatics is the study of language use in context (linguistic and non-linguistic) and the effects of context on meaning which arises through language in use. This course will introduce students to pragmatics and related theoretical and analytical frameworks, including Speech Act Theory, the Cooperative Principle, Grice's Maxims, implicatures and presuppositions, as well as Politeness and Impoliteness Theories. We will use these analytical tools to gain a better understanding of how meaning is created in context and how it is interpreted, using examples from modern and historical communicative contexts.

10x 1h lecture + 10x1h seminar taking place within a semester as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the Honours options in English Language & Linguistics and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into English Language & Linguistics, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

None

None

Written assignment: essay (2,000 words) = 50%

Report (1,000 words) = 25%

Set exercise (online quizzes, equivalent to 1,000 words) = 25%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ equip students with a thorough understanding of the field of linguistic pragmatics, both from a present-day and a historical perspective,

■ introduce linguistic tools to analyse in a systematic manner how meaning is created in context and how it is interpreted,

■ engage students with both present-day and historical contexts where pragmatic phenomena arise,

■ develop skills in discussing language use in context.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ recognise and analyse pragmatic phenomena in various communicative situations, past and present,

■ apply core pragmatic theories to real world issues and contexts,

■ draw on a range of electronic and traditional sources to support an analysis of language use in context,

■ formulate and present a written argument in relation to a selected pragmatic phenomenon,

■ critically assess published academic work on a topic related to the course content.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.