UNIT 1.

PRAGMATIC AWARENESS

1.1. Introduction
1.2. The study of pragmatics
1.3. An example of the pragmatic perspective to language analysis
1.4. Four ways of approaching the study of pragmatics

JUMBLED LIST WITH MAIN IDEAS IN THE NOTES

A. An important aspect of the study of pragmatics is the principles, strategies or

processes that the language users follow beyond the level of the sentence by
taking into account the whole text or communicative situation in their context
B. Describing and explaining how people use the system of language in order to
fulfill their social goals in particular situations vs. Describing how the system of
language is organised in the mind
C. For pragmaticists meaning is not inherent in the words of the dictionary and pre-
existent to the act of communication; they prefer to talk about meaning as a
process of negotiation of intentions and interpretations in a specific context.
D. Pragmaticists aim to explain how language users attempt to fulfil their goals in
specific contexts by making linguistic choices; these choices depend on the
specific beliefs and assessment of the participants in the communicative
situation.
E. Pragmatics explore the different aspects of the linguistic system that form part of
the language user's choices and the impact of these choices.
F. Pragmatics is easy and difficult at the same time because it deals with issues we
discuss in everyday life such as intention, relevance, politeness or implicit
meaning.
G. Pragmatics vs. traditional linguistics: how does language function in the lives of
human beings vs. how does language work in the minds of human beings)
H. The language user's mental perception and representation of the reality,
involving aspects such as her psychological state, degree of language
proficiency, ideology, etc., is another aspect that pragmaticists take into
consideration to explain language use.
I. The relationship between context and language is not unidirectional but
bidirectional and pragmatics investigates this relationship.
 CORRECT ORDER OF IDEAS

1.1. Introduction

1. Pragmatics is easy and difficult at the same time because it deals with issues we
discuss in everyday life such as intention, relevance, politeness or implicit
meaning.
1.2. The study of pragmatics

2. Pragmatics vs. traditional linguistics: how does language function in the lives of
human beings vs. how does language work in the minds of human beings)
3. Describing and explaining how people use the system of language in order to
fulfill their social goals in particular situations vs. Describing how the system of
language is organised in the mind
4. For pragmaticists meaning is not inherent in the words of the dictionary and pre-
existent to the act of communication; they prefer to talk about meaning as a
process of negotiation of intentions and interpretations in a specific context.
1.3. An example of the pragmatic perspective to language analysis

5. Pragmaticists aim to explain how language users attempt to fulfil their goals in
specific contexts by making linguistic choices; these choices depend on the
specific beliefs and assessment of the participants in the communicative
situation.

1.4. Four ways of approaching the study of pragmatics

6. The relationship between context and language is not unidirectional but

bidirectional and pragmatics investigates this relationship.
7. Pragmatics explore the different aspects of the linguistic system that form part of
the language user's choices and the impact of these choices.
8. An important aspect of the study of pragmatics is the principles, strategies or
processes that the language users follow beyond the level of the sentence by
taking into account the whole text or communicative situation in their context
9. The language user's mental perception and representation of the reality,
involving aspects such as her psychological state, degree of language
proficiency, ideology, etc., is another aspect that pragmaticists take into
consideration to explain language use.