Perspective Of Relevance Theory Research Articles

Lying and Misleading within the Philosophy of Language: A Relevance-Theoretic Perspective

The aim of the paper is to examine the lying/misleading distinction from a relevance-theoretic perspective (cf. Sperber and Wilson [1986] 1995; 2004; Wilson and Sperber 2002; 2012). On standard accounts, the distinction is drawn parallel to the saying/implicating distinction. ‘What is said’, rooted in Grice (1975), has been subject to extensive discussion and numerous reanalyses under a variety of terms (see, for example, Recanati 1993; Bach 1994; Carston 2002), but no agreement has been reached as to the content of ‘what is said’ and the borderline between ‘what is said’ and ‘what is implicated’. Accordingly, within the philosophy of language the attempts to capture the lying/misleading distinction (Meibauer 2005; 2011; 2014ab; Saul 2012ab; Stokke 2013; 2016) rely on different notions of ‘what is said’. The paper is an attempt to take a stance in the debate on the distinction under discussion from the perspective of Relevance Theory (Sperber and Wilson [1986] 1995; 2004; Wilson and Sperber 2012), which is a cognitive extension and modification of Gricean model of communication and has been seriously concerned with the elaborated concept of what is said, known as ‘explicature’. One of our goals is to see how the relevance-theoretic understanding of “what is said” (Carston 2002; 2009; 2010; Carston and Hall 2012) affects the lying/misleading distinction, and the other way round. In an attempt to provide ground for the relevance-theoretic account, a critical overview and comparison of the existing approaches to lying and misleading is also presented.

The Treatment of Geographical Dialect in Literary Translation from the Perspective of Relevance Theory

This paper discusses problems involved in the translation of literary works that apply linguistic varieties, especially geographical dialects. It surveys selected approaches to the functions of dialects in literature and to the strategies of dealing with linguistic variation in translation, arguing that the understanding of the issue may be deepened and systematized by applying notions drawn from relevance theory. The use of dialect in literary texts is interpreted as a communicative clue and the translators’ approach to its rendering is described with reference to the cognitive environment of the recipients and the balance of processing effort and communicative gain. Examples are drawn from the Polish translations of The Secret Garden by F.H. Burnett, the oldest coming from 1917 and the newest from 2012, which highlight the translators’ changing assumptions on the recipients’ cognitive environment reflected in the choice of the strategy of dialect rendition.

Aspects of Meaning in Interaction: Incomplete Interpretive Hypotheses in L2 Discourse

From a relevance theory perspective, it is assumed that verbal communication processes are governed by a ‘less-than-perfect heuristic’, entailing failures in communication, and that what requires explanation is how successful communication may be achieved (Sperber and Wilson 1995). Accordingly, little attention has been paid to miscommunication or hypotheses about jointly-adjusted interpretive meaning in the relevance theory framework. Using the relevance theory perspective (Carston 2002; Sperber and Wilson 1995; Wilson and Sperber 2004) with a view to extending the understanding of meaning by language users in interaction (Culpeper and Haugh 2014), this paper is concerned with a nuanced understanding of the meaning of the utterances as part of the interpretation process, including miscommunication, in second language (L2) English conversational discourse. Drawing on the relevance-theoretical notions of the individual’s ‘expectations of relevance’ (Sperber and Wilson 1995), ‘parallel adjustment process’ (Wilson and Sperber 2004) and Culpeper and Haugh’s (2014) notion of ‘recipient meaning’, this paper highlights that the potential for miscommunication in interaction is not uncommon, particularly in terms of meaning construction.

A Study of English Conundrums’ Setting and Solving from the Perspective of Relevance Theory

English conundrums, as an important form of English riddles, are very interesting and bring entertainment to people’s daily life. For its vivid form, specific purpose, and well-designed content, English conundrums raise researching interests among more and more scholars. These studies range from anthropology, folklore to rhetoric. In the recent decades, many scholars have also begun to explore them from linguistic perspectives. This paper tries to analyze English conundrums under the guidance of Relevance Theory, aiming to explain the dynamical process of setting and solving of English conundrums. After an intensive study, the author finds that principles of relevance, the cognitive context and the non-demonstrative inference are powerful for explaining the setting and solving of English conundrums.

Classifier constructions as procedural referring expressions in American Sign Language

The present paper comments on signs of American Sign Language in the perspective of relevance theory. The main claim is that classifiers encode procedural instructions to help the addressee pick out the intended referent for the procedural referring expressions made with classifier constructions. The author explains how three classes of classifiers differently manipulate concepts to instruct the addressee to create ad hoc concepts though the use of inference, narrowing, and broadening. It is also claimed that classifier constructions do not encode a conceptual meaning, but a procedural instruction. The discussion includes illustrations of how the speaker’s using classifier constructions instead of lexical signs may increase the number of cognitive effects on the part of the addressee.

Relevance Theory in the Performance of Revelation 17–19

Relevance theory (RT) describes human communication as a cognitive process that tends to maximize contextual effects while minimizing processing effort. From an RT perspective, translation is a communication event in which a speaker/writer selects some contextual effects of a prior communication event to replicate with an acceptable amount of processing effort by new hearers in a different language. Performance is translation in that it shares the goal of replication of contextual effects; but while translators may desire verisimilitude above other goals, performers may have differently prioritized communicative objectives. Performance of a text provides Bible translators an opportunity to explore the effectiveness of verbal and non-verbal cues to maximize contextual effects and minimize processing effort for a specific audience. The performance of Revelation 17–19 offers a unique window into the cognitive effects of ambiguity and delayed processing, emotion and tone, space and distance that guide word choice, syntax, and visual formatting of a written translation. The non-verbal cues of performance correlate to the visual cues of a text in maximizing desired contextual effects while minimizing processing effort.

Discourse relation recognition in translation: a relevance-theory perspective

The use of discourse markers in argumentation is an area in which the rhetorical traditions of Arabic and English diverge. While English allows implicit logical links, Arabic demands explicitly marked coherence. Such differences in the expression of discourse relations are brought to the fore when these two languages come into contact through translation. This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the translation performance of English–Arabic translation students at different stages of a postgraduate translation programme. A preliminary quantitative exploration of the translation product is combined with a qualitative analysis, in which translation process data is interpreted in light of Relevance Theory. Think-aloud protocol transcripts reveal that advanced translation students supplement their intuitive relevance-based comprehension mechanism with a conscious, analytical processing ability of a more deliberate nature. Our results both demonstrate the problematic nature of this aspect of translation and highlight the need for explicit classroom instruction.

Rethinking Reader and Writer Responsibility in Academic English

AbstractThere is a growing perception that English used as a lingua franca does not need to resemble English as a native language, but can include a great deal of lexicogrammatical variation. However, a more fundamental matter is whether research articles written in English need to conform to the dominant linear, deductive, ‘Anglo’ pattern of text organization, or whether non-native English speakers should be free to transfer rhetorical patterns from their L1s into English, such as, e.g., an inductive, indirect, end-weighted form of argumentation, perhaps with a less-assertive conclusion. Hinds (1987) describes the latter style of writing as “reader-responsible,” as opposed to the “writer-responsible” Anglo-American style, arguing that it requires a great deal more inferential work on the part of the reader. Yet from a relevance theory perspective it appears unlikely that a culture would choose to impose unnecessary additional processing effort on readers. The perception of difficulty is an etic perspective: analysts from “writer-responsible” cultures imagine the processing effort that would be necessary in their culture to make sense of “reader-responsible” texts. Indirect, inductive rhetorical styles do not cause problems for readers accustomed to them. Given that most academic writing in English is for an international audience, non-native English-speaking researchers – and indeed native English speakers too – should be free to adopt a range of styles, or some sort of heterogeneous hybrid, depending on their perceptions of their readers’ expectations. A further issue is whether researchers who have reservations about ‘Anglo’ styles of writing, e.g. in the social sciences or literary and cultural theory, should encourage non-native English speakers to imitate the noun-heavy, nominalized, passivized, syntactically-complex style dominant in these fields.

Relevance Theory and translation: Translating puns in Spanish film titles into English

The present paper aims to analyse the translation of puns from a Relevance-Theory perspective. Relevance Theory is a cognitive-pragmatic approach to communication proposed by Sperber and Wilson in the mid-1980s (Sperber and Wilson, 1986). According to such theoretical framework, the relation between a translation and its source text is considered to be based on interpretive resemblance, rather than on equivalence (see Gutt, 1998, 2000). The translator would try to seek optimal relevance, in such a way that s/he would use different strategies to try to recreate the cognitive effects intended by the source communicator with the lowest possible processing effort on the part of the target addressee. The analysis carried out in this study is based on one hundred and ninety titles of Spanish and Latin American film titles containing puns and their translations for the Anglo-Saxon or international market. The strategies used by the translators to render puns in the translated titles have been analysed. The selection of strategy is determined, among other factors, by the principle of relevance. In those cases in which there is a coincidence in the relation between the levels of signifier and signified across source and target language, translators normally opt to translate literally and reproduce a pun based on the same linguistic phenomenon as the source pun and semantically equivalent to it. In the rest of the cases, the translator will have to assess what is more relevant, either content or the effect produced by the pun.

The Translation of Wordplay from the Perspective of Relevance Theory: Translating Sexual Puns in two Shakespearian Tragedies into Galician and Spanish

The present paper aims to analyse the translation of puns from a relevance-theory perspective. According to such theoretical framework, the relation between a translation and its source text is considered to be based on interpretive resemblance, rather than on equivalence. The translator would try to seek optimal relevance, in such a way that he or she would use different strategies to try to recreate the cognitive effects intended by the source writer with the lowest possible processing effort on the part of the target addressee. The analysis carried out in this study is based on two tragedies by Shakespeare – namely, Hamlet and Othello – and on five Spanish and two Galician versions of those two plays. The strategies used by the translators of those versions to render sexual puns have been analysed, focusing not only on the product but also on the process. The selection of strategy is determined, among other factors, by the specific context and by the principle of relevance. In those cases in which there is a coincidence in the relation between the levels of signifier and signified across source and target language, translators normally opt to translate literally and reproduce a pun based on the same linguistic phenomenon as the source text pun and semantically equivalent to it. In the rest of the cases, the translator will have to assess what is more relevant, either content or the effect produced by the pun.

A Study on the Pragmatic Fossilization of Discourse Markers among Chinese English Learners

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of discourse markers (DMs) by Chinese EFL learners and find out the relationship between English proficiency and the pragmatic fossilization of DMs. The current study focuses on the use of DMs in speech. The data from the high-level English learners and the intermediate English learners are used for the exploration of Chinese EFL learners’ DMs use, and Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English is selected as speech of native speakers for comparison. By analyzing three frequently used DMs in their oral production, the results show that the fossilization of DMs is caused by English learners’ lack of acquiring the pragmatic functions of DMs as native speakers do. The study indicates that Chinese learners are not aware of the importance of DMs in constructing textual coherence. In this case, both explicit instructions and implicit instructions should be given in class. Under the framework of Relevance Theory, the textual coherence of DMs should be explained explicitly in classroom. From the perspective of Relevance Theory, DMs can be used to help the speaker to organize information, produce clear utterances, and ultimately direct the hearer towards the intended interpretation of the utterances in discourse with the minimum cost of processing effort. On the other hand, DMs can ease the hearer’s search for relevance of utterances by providing an effective means for constraining his interpretation of utterances in discourse in terms of the principles of relevance. In addition, teachers should provide learners with accurate and appropriate L2 input and as many chances as possible to make enough L2 output in proper situation.

C-E Translation of Children's Literature from the Perspective of Relevance Theory

Children's literature is a unique form that adds brilliance to present splendor of the literature. An effective translation is the precondition to restore the essence of Chinese children's literature. The research of history and theory in children's literature is marginalized and excluded. Because of the language barriers and the cultural differences between Chinese and English, it is difficult for target audience to get adequate cognitive context to understand the original correctly. Besides, the particularity of children's cognitive development makes the translation more challenging and tough. The translator of children's literature should adopt the most applicable approaches according to the children’s language ability so that they could easily achieve optimal relevance. This paper mainly discusses the application of the relevance theory on the phonetic level, lexical level, rhetorical level and cultural level.

Pragmatically motivated null subjects in English: A relevance theory perspective

Despite English being traditionally classified as a non-null subject language, there are certain discourse contexts in which subject pronouns may be left non-overt. While previous analyses of this phenomenon have focused on syntactic explanations, each has acknowledged that pragmatics plays a vital role in understanding their production and interpretation. This paper takes up where the syntactic analyses leave off, and offers an analysis of the pragmatic motivation behind null subjects in non-null subject languages, focusing particularly on English. It is argued that, far from being exceptional, pragmatically motivated null subjects are not surprising on a relevance-theoretic approach to utterance production and interpretation (Sperber and Wilson, 1986/95). Three categories of null subject are identified, each driven by the balance between hearer's effort and cognitive effects, while allowing for the speaker's abilities and preferences. It is argued that pronouns encode procedural information which guides the hearer to the intended subject referent. Furthermore, the analysis of the discourse contexts in which these subjects may be optionally omitted sheds light not only on the nature of the pronouns themselves, but on the nature of the utterance interpretation process generally, and has important implications for the study of style.

El uso de los juegos de palabras en los anuncios publicados en revistas masculinas. Un estudio comparado en el Reino Unido y España

This paper focuses on the use of wordplay in advertisements published in the British and Spanish editions of three well-known men’s magazines, namely Esquire, GQ, and Men’s Health. The function of puns in advertising is explained from the perspective of Relevance Theory. In spite of requiring additional processing effort from the addressee, puns reveal themselves as an economical way of producing additional positive cognitive effects. They also contribute to the creation of a positive attitude towards the promoted product and are useful attention-getting devices. All in all, 208 advertisements were analysed, out of which 49 contained a pun. However, the tendency to use wordplay is higher in the British advertisements than in the Spanish ones, which can be explained by a long tradition of punning in the English-speaking countries and by a higher probability of finding homophones in the English language.

Relevance Theory and Theological Interpretation: Thoughts on Metarepresentation

Abstract Theological interpretation endeavors to account for the way interpretation of the biblical text interacts with Christian theology. This approach to biblical interpretation views theology not as an obstacle to understanding but rather as a "clarifying agent" (Reno¹). It embraces theological traditions of the church and faith commitments in concert with exegetical practices. This article explores theological interpretation from the perspective of relevance theory, with special attention to the notion of metarepresentation, the "ability to represent not just states of the external physical world but also other representations, and representations of still further representations, etc., up to several orders of complexity" (Carston²). In any communication, metarepresentation allows us to reflect on mental states and attribute beliefs. Indeed, holding beliefs becomes essential to comprehension within communication. This article argues that theological interpretation is an approach to biblical interpretation that is consonant with the general cognitive architecture of the human mind.

Relevance Theory and Theological Interpretation: Thoughts on Metarepresentation

Abstract Theological interpretation endeavors to account for the way interpretation of the biblical text interacts with Christian theology. This approach to biblical interpretation views theology not as an obstacle to understanding but rather as a "clarifying agent" (Reno¹). It embraces theological traditions of the church and faith commitments in concert with exegetical practices. This article explores theological interpretation from the perspective of relevance theory, with special attention to the notion of metarepresentation, the "ability to represent not just states of the external physical world but also other representations, and representations of still further representations, etc., up to several orders of complexity" (Carston²). In any communication, metarepresentation allows us to reflect on mental states and attribute beliefs. Indeed, holding beliefs becomes essential to comprehension within communication. This article argues that theological interpretation is an approach to biblical interpretation that is consonant with the general cognitive architecture of the human mind.

When some is actually all: Scalar inferences in face-threatening contexts

Accounts of the scalar inference from ‘some X-ed’ to ‘not all X-ed’ are central to the debate between contemporary theories of conversational pragmatics. An important contribution to this debate is to identify contexts that decrease the endorsement rate of the inference. We suggest that the inference is endorsed less often in face-threatening contexts, i.e., when X implies a loss of face for the listener. This claim is successfully tested in Experiment 1. Experiment 2 rules out a possible confound between face-threatening contexts and lower-bound contexts. Experiment 3 shows that whilst saying ‘some X-ed’ when one knew for a fact that all X-ed is always perceived as an underinformative utterance, it is also seen as a nice and polite thing to do when X threatens the face of the listener. These findings are considered from the perspective of Relevance Theory as well as that of the Generalized Conversational Inference approach.

Análisis y revisión del sarcasmo y la lítote: propuesta desde la Teoría de la Relevancia

Overall, sarcasm and litote have been considered rhetorical fi gures and, therefore, dislocated uses of language. Classical studies accept the existence of two different languages: the literal one and the fi gurative one, whereas more recent theoretical frameworks, such as Relevance Theory, disagree with this standpoint. In that sense, this paper attempts to revisit some classical considerations from the perspective of Relevance Theory; one signifi cant conclusion will be that there is only one language with different uses guided by communicative relevance.

A Tale of Two Translation Theories

This paper considers two theories of communication and the theories of translation shaped by them. First, the Code Model of communication is characterized and reasons are presented for why it is an inadequate and misleading theory of communication. Then Source-Meaning-Receptor theories of translation that were shaped by the Code Model are characterized and their inadequacies surveyed. Second, the Relevance Theory of communication is introduced. Then Gutt’s Relevance Theory-based theory of translation is sketched and its dramatic implications for translation are surveyed. Finally, broader implications of the shift from a Code Model to a Relevance Theory perspective are considered, including implications for the praxis of translation, the checking of translations, and the training of translators.

Translation as secondary communication. The relevance theory perspective of Ernst-August Gutt

Ernst-August Gutt started one of the greatest translation debates of the past ten years when he suggested that relevance theory holds the key to providing a unified account of translation. The bulk of the debate has been between practitioners of functional equivalence and advocates of a relevance theoretic approach to translation. However, opponents of the relevance theoretic approach have widely misunderstood Gutt's claims and objectives, with the result that too much discussion has focused on minor points of his account of translation. This article will attempt to clarify his objectives and claims, and to clear up some common misunderstandings about the implications of embracing a relevance theoretic approach to translation. (Acta Theologica, Supplementum 2, 2002: 107-117)