This short piece of work would intend to show or present my everyday teaching practice from pragmatic points of view. I learned applied linguistics before, or at least my college professors gave it a try to teach me. I always wondered this miraculous linguistics, even if I had found it very hard to master. I am now making a research work on the linguistic differences between American and British English, hence I have been in love with US English since my childhood. Therefore, as my being a language examiner at one of the language examination boards, I am not only collecting pragmatic hints from my teaching practice, but I also would like to show some interesting points form the language exams. Moreover, I would really love to present some dialectical differences, which do inevitably utter pragmatics. For all this I have got to admit that an essay of some short pages could not fulfill the task to present every small bit of pragmatics, heedless of my honest efforts.
Table of Contents
1. Addressing
2. Names and titles
3. Manner (politeness and impoliteness)
Research Objectives and Themes
This work examines the application of pragmatics within a daily educational context, specifically focusing on how linguistic choices, social conventions, and context influence communication between teachers and students.
- Analysis of pragmatic variations in meeting and addressing people.
- Examination of titles, names, and formal address in English versus other languages.
- Application of the Politeness Principle and Leech’s maxims in conversational exchanges.
- Investigation into the pedagogical implications of "pragmatic silence" and classroom management.
- Discussion of cross-cultural misunderstandings arising from differing contextual backgrounds.
Excerpt from the Book
Addressing
Although English is said to be one of the most polite languages, it is extremely interesting that there are no separate words for formalizing people. Certain other languages have different forms for “you” (French “tu/vous”, German “du/Sie”., Hungarian Te/Ön). These may originally have indicated number (“vous” and “Sie”) used for plural forms, but now show different levels of formality, with “tu” and “du” being more familiar, “vous” and “Sie” more polite. In English this was shown historically by the contrast between “you” and “thou/thee”. These are not really used anymore, though the “thou” form survives in some dialects (like old cockney), while other familiar pronoun forms are “youse” (Liverpool) and “you-all” or “you all gentlemen” (southern USA).
In practice, students want to formalize with third person singular, “Kovács úr, jön velünk együtt haza?” and falsely corresponds to “Mr Smith, is He coming with us home?”, more frequently “to home” (like a fossilized error). In German, it is written only with a capital initial letter, like Sie but this Sie is followed by a plural form. You see, formalizing is not standard thing and it varies in many of the languages. Vice versa to this phenomenon, students are scared of addressing teachers or older people with “Hello” because they assume the it is only a colloquial form of speech, which we all know, is not true. In England, and rather frequently in the USA, it is absolutely common to address any groups of people. “Hello, students. “ like a university professor would greet his students before a lecture. This inevitably conveys to “Greetings, students. “ which is also an acceptable form, however, it would sound rather formal and less life-like.
Summary of Chapters
Addressing: This chapter explores how English lacks specific formal/informal pronominal distinctions compared to other languages and discusses common student errors when attempting to formalize address.
Names and titles: This section investigates how status and attitude are communicated through the use of specific titles, given names, and epithets, as well as the cultural confusion caused by direct translation.
Manner (politeness and impoliteness): This chapter applies Geoffrey Leech’s Politeness Principle to everyday classroom scenarios, analyzing how maxims and "faces" function in communication and the role of pragmatic silence.
Keywords
Pragmatics, Linguistics, Addressing, Politeness Principle, Geoffrey Leech, Context, Semantics, Pedagogical Practice, Sociolinguistics, Language Teaching, Communication, Maxims, Faces, Pragmatic Silence, Cross-cultural Misunderstanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work focuses on the practical application of pragmatics in a daily teaching environment, analyzing how context and social conventions influence linguistic choices.
What are the central themes of the publication?
The central themes include systems of address, the use of titles, the Politeness Principle, and how teachers manage pragmatic expectations in the classroom.
What is the main goal of the research?
The goal is to demonstrate how pragmatic awareness can improve teaching practice and help educators guide students in navigating different social and linguistic contexts.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses a qualitative, experience-based approach, combining personal observations from teaching and language examining with established pragmatic theories.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the complexities of formal vs. informal address, the usage of names and titles, and the analysis of conversational maxims and social faces.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is best characterized by terms such as Pragmatics, Politeness Principle, Language Teaching, Context, and Sociolinguistic Competence.
Why does the author argue that "Hello" can be an appropriate form of address?
The author argues that while some students perceive "Hello" as overly colloquial, it is actually a standard and polite way to address groups, such as students in a lecture, in both the UK and the USA.
What is "pragmatic silence" according to the text?
Pragmatic silence is identified as a deliberate, acceptable communication strategy used to hide personal feelings or manage difficult classroom situations, such as when students use inappropriate language.
How does the author explain the difference between American and British English in terms of pragmatics?
The author highlights how dialectical and cultural differences—such as the pronunciation of "aunt" or the interpretation of specific vocabulary—require awareness of the listener's background to avoid misunderstandings.
- Citation du texte
- János Talabér (Auteur), 2009, Pragmatics in my everyday practice - Meeting and addressing people, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/124489
