This module introduces students to the principles and practices which underpin current approaches to pragmatics (in both talk and text) in a wide range of social settings. We will explore language as social action; contexts and genres of talk and text, aspects of social interaction and critical approaches to discourse and interaction.

Knowledge and Understanding:

• explain theoretical approaches to pragmatics and social interaction
• give examples of talk and text illustrative of the relevant frameworks
• summarise and paraphrase relevant literature on discourse, social interaction and critical pragmatics

Skills that will be practised and developed - Successful completion of this module will enable students to:

• compare existing pragmatic theories and frameworks
• select contexts relevant to particular genres of talk, audio-record and transcribe examples
• analyse talk and text by selecting relevant frameworks
• critically/ideologically interpret discourse in a range of contexts

Timetabled sessions include2 lectures and 1 seminar per week. During seminars, you may be required to make presentations and lead discussion.Lectures are usually supplemented with PowerPoint slides and handouts summarising content at a reasonable level of detail. These are usually made available on Learning Central during or immediately after the session. Audio and video areused in this module. Transcripts are provided where the audio or visual texts are analysed in detail or are a core element of the lecture or seminar.

Critical and other forms of reading and writing; analysis of written and spoken language data; presentation; discussion; listening. This module will develop skills in processing information and analysing data from a variety of perspectives. These abilities to step back from information and take a variety of viewpoints are transferrable to most if not all workplaces.

The module is assessed by coursework and exam.

The coursework provides an opportunity to explore a topic in more depth. Your essay should demonstrate a good critical understanding of key issues, theories and concepts covered in weeks 1-5 of the module and should develop a clear and convincing argument presented according to the academic conventions outline in the English Language and Communication Course Guide and the ENCAP Undergraduate Handbook.

The exam invites two equally weighted argumentative essays on topics covered in the second half of the module. You will need to read widely in advance of the examination and produce answers which evidence this reading.  It is however essential that you also reflect on what you have read and use it to construct your own answer to the questions set.  This answer should show an ability to reflect on the topic required by the question and to address pertinent issues critically and carefully.

The module is assessed according to the Assessment Criteria set out in the English Language and Communication Course Guide. Otherwise, there are no academic or competence standards which limit the availability of adjustments or alternative assessments for students with disabilities.

• Pragmatics, or language as social action: forms and functions of language in context; speech act theory, direct and indirect meaning; entailment, presupposition, inference and implicature.
• Discourse and knowledge: defining textuality; coherence and cohesion; sense-making through frames, scripts and schemas.
• Contexts and Genres: the language/context relationship; ethnography of speaking, speech events and activity types; context and contextualisation cues; discourse colonies.
• Social Interaction: methods of discourse analysis; ethnomethodology and conversation analysis; orderliness in discourse; rules and patterns of interaction in everyday and institutional settings; ethnography of communication.
• Communication Ritual; relational goals in talk face work and politeness, formulaic language, phatic communion.
• Critical Perspectives on Language as Social Practice: critical discourse analysis; language, ideology and the constitution of power and asymmetry; issues of knowledge, access and social control; linguistic hygiene.

Grundy, P. (2000) Doing Pragmatics. London: Edward Arnold.

Jaworski, A. and Coupland, N. (2006) The Discourse Reader. London: Routledge.

Thomas, J. (1995) Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics. London: Longman.

Not applicable