PRAGMATICS AND COMMUNICATION

To develop the reflection on: a) language as a semiotic system and as an instrument by means of which human beings act and interact; b) the relationship between language and context; c) principles
and structures of conversation.

To understand and analyze the main interactional strategies used by speakers to avoid conflict in interaction (verbal politeness).

A) Introduction to linguistic pragmatics (2 CFU): scope, theorethical principles and methodological approaches. The influence of context on understanding and iterpretation and the influence of language on context (speech act theory: Austin and Searle). The Cooperation Principle (Grice).

Conversation analysis.

B) Different theories on politeness (4 CFU): normative (books of manners) and strategic (Brown & Levinson’s Face saving view and Politeness Principle (Lakoff and Leech). Pragmatic analysis of polite speech acts (compliments).

A. Introduction to pragmatics (2 CFU)

Testi:

-C. Bianchi, Pragmatica del linguaggio, Bari, Laterza, 2003.

- S. C. Levinson, La struttura della conversazione, in La pragmatica, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1993, pp. 357-453.

B. Verbal Politeness (4 CFU)

Testi:

- L. Mariottini, La cortesia, Roma, Carocci, 2007.

- R. Lakoff, La logica della cortesia, in M. Sbisà (a cura di), Gli atti linguistici, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1978, pp. 220-230.

- G. Leech, A survey of the interpersonal rhetoric, in Principles of Pragmatics, London, Longman, 1983, capitolo 6, pp. 131-151.

- P. Brown e S. C. Levinson, Politeness: some universals in languge usage, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1987.

- G. Alfonzetti, I complimenti nella conversazione, Roma, Editori Riuniti University Press, 2009.