Discourse and pragmatics

1. Discourse and pragmatics

2. Meaning and context situational context background knowledge context co-textual context

3. Speech acts and discourse Direct and indirect speech acts Felicity conditions Presupposition

4. The cooperative principle Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged (Grice 1975: 45). The maxim of quality - be true The maximum of quantity - be brief The maxim of relation - be relevant The maxim of manner - be clear

5. Flouting the co-operative principle

6. Cross cultural pragmatics A task for Japanese university students In English: You are writing your graduation thesis (in English). You want to ask your (English) professor to read one of your chapters for you. What would you say in an email to your professor?

7. Dear Jim Hello, I am currently working on my graduation thesis, and would like to know if it is good or not. Would you mind reading one of the chapters for me? I would really appreciate it. Thanks Tetsuya Fujimoto

8. In Japanese: You are writing your graduation thesis (in Japanese). You want to ask your (Japanese) professor to read one of your chapters for you. What would you say in an email to your professor?

9. Greetings, Professor Nakamura Early spring, in this sizzling day, how are you spending your day? This time, I would like you to do me a favor, and this I why I take up my pen (In Japanese this means ‘to write’ in a formal way). I am now writing my graduation thesis, and even though I am afraid to ask, would you mind seeing my work … of course, as long as it does not bother you. If it is not inconvenient for you, could you please consider it? I beg you again Sincerely Tetsuya Fujimoto

10. Reasons for differences In a formal Japanese letter, there is reference to the weather or season, but in English letters, there is nothing like that. The reason why Japanese start letters with irrelevant topics is because it is too blunt to say what you want to say without putting seasonal words first. Also, in the English one, we can say “thank you” or “I will appreciate it…” but in the Japanese one, it should be avoided because if we say “thank you”, it imposes and sounds as if we were expecting the professor to do the task.

11. Positive and negative face Involvement and independence In order to maintain social relationships, people need to acknowledge the face of other people. Thus, we seek to make the other person feel good, thereby maintaining their positive face' or sense of involvement. People also, at the same time, avoid treading on each other's physical territory, field of knowledge, or friendship, thus maintaining the other person's negative face or independence

12. Involvement strategies (showing closeness, intimacy, rapport and solidarity) Independence strategies (giving the other person choices, allowing them to maintain their freedom)

13. Face and politeness Face and politeness across cultures Politeness and gender Politeness and cross-cultural pragmatic failure