Pragmatic Norms Research Articles

Beyond Legislative Intent

Abstract There is a widely held view that legislative intention determines the meaning of a statute. The focus of this article is meaning in the sense of full linguistic content, which may not be the same as legal content. Linguistic intentionalism appears to have its greatest appeal when a statute has a partly implied linguistic meaning. It seems natural to suppose that the part of the meaning that is implied by the explicit wording in the statute is determined by an intention of the legislature—roughly, what the legislature intended to imply. The purpose of this article is to present some new reasons to doubt linguistic intentionalism and to offer an alternative for a particular kind of implied statutory meaning that some philosophers of language call implicitures. Rather than legislative intention, the meaning of implicitures is metaphysically determined by intention-free pragmatic linguistic norms, the grasp of which is part of the language competence of ordinary law subjects. The use of these norms, in combination with certain facts about background social practices and other conventions, generates implicitures that may be inconsistent with actual communicative intentions. These intention-free pragmatic norms, and the implicitures they generate, are explanatorily prior to the fact—if there is such a fact—of what impliciture it is reasonable to infer that the enacting legislature (or the legislators collectively) intended. Reference to legislative linguistic intention (actual or reasonably imputed) is thus explanatorily inert.

Pragmatic Competence in Second Language Learners

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to analyze pragmatic competence in second language learners. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to pragmatic competence in second language learners. Preliminary empirical review revealed that pragmatic competence is crucial for effective communication in a second language, often lacking in learners despite their grammatical proficiency. Explicit instruction in pragmatic norms and strategies significantly improved learners' communication abilities. Cultural immersion and authentic language use were found essential for developing practical pragmatic skills. The study also highlighted the importance of considering individual differences, such as motivation and language aptitude, to tailor instruction and enhance pragmatic training effectively. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Speech Act Theory, Politeness Theory and Socio-Cultural Theory may be used to anchor future studies on pragmatic competence in second language learners. The study highlighted the need for a broader theoretical understanding that integrates sociolinguistics and cognitive sciences, recommended incorporating pragmatic skills into language curricula through authentic dialogues and interactive activities, and advocated for policies that prioritize pragmatic competence in language proficiency standards and assessments. It emphasized the importance of cross-cultural awareness and recommended collaborative efforts among educators, researchers, and policymakers to develop comprehensive frameworks. The study also suggested ongoing research to monitor the effectiveness of these changes and adapt educational practices accordingly.

Towards interculturally adaptive conversational AI

Abstract Among the many ways that AI technologies are becoming embedded in our social worlds is the proliferation of Conversational User Interfaces, such as voice assistants (e.g. Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa), chatbots and voice-based conversational agents. Such conversational AI technologies are designed to draw upon the designers’ understanding of interactional practices employed in human–human conversation, and therefore have implications for intercultural communication (ICC). In this paper, we highlight some of the current shortcomings of conversational AI, and how these relate to ICC. We also draw on findings from Conversation Analysis to discuss how pragmatic norms vary across linguacultural groups (see Risager, Karen. 2019. Linguaculture. In Carol A. Chapelle (ed.). Encyclopedia of applied linguistics. Wiley-Blackwell for a discussion of the term ‘linguaculture’), noting that this poses further challenges for designers of conversational AI systems. We argue that the solution is to work towards what we call interculturally adaptive conversational AI. Finally, we propose a framework for how this can be conceptualised and researched, and argue that researchers with expertise in language and ICC are uniquely placed to contribute to this endeavour.

Emotionalization of mass discourse as compensation for the crisis of reference

This article comprehensively explores and analyzes the main reasons for the emergence of a clearly emerging imbalance between the emotional and rational components of the communicative space of modern mass discourse, as well as the imitation role of the emotions of a participant in modern discursive practices, which, in essence, are designed to compensate for his lack of opportunities, methods and channels to summarize the information received. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of such situations of manipulation of emotions at the individual or mass level within the framework of modern mass discourse, which are on the verge of complying with the law, or even go beyond this line. In conclusion, the interrelated phenomena of insincere discourse and the crisis of reference are considered, the correlation between which is assessed as one of the most significant and weighty confirmations of the prevalence and frequency of the use of processes of forced emotionalization of a number of discursive practices. In the vast majority of discursive practices, the emotions of the object of information today play the role of masks, screens, curtains, decorations, against which there is an imitation of a reference that is actually absent. In modern mass discourse, all information without notes is rarely conveyed to the audience, while facts are replaced by interpretations or turn out to be staged events. The main reason for the emotionalization of mass discourse is allegedly following the ideas, expectations and emotions of the mass audience – information is presented in such a way that everyone sees, hears, reads what they themselves would like to see, hear, read. The crisis of reference within mass discourse has an artificial and deliberately provoked character. The crisis of reference imposed on society by the main moderators of mass discourse deforms the semantic, syntactic and pragmatic norms of natural language, which makes it possible to manipulate both the meanings of words and syntaxes themselves, and their mass perception.

Why Aristotle Isn’t a Virtue Ethicist. Living Well and Virtuously in Aristotelian and Contemporary Aretaic Ethics

Drawing on Anscombe, in this essay I argue that we should not take Aristotle to be a moral philosopher, nor a virtue ethicist. This is because contemporary virtue ethics has little to do with Aristotelian ethics. While contemporary virtue ethics (or aretaic moral theory, as one may call it) operates on the level of moral and thus categorical norms, Aristotelian ethics—an aretaic life ethics—is primarily concerned with pragmatic norms. The main question for Aristotle is what a good general conduct of life is. The major concern of aretaic moral theory, on the other hand, is to provide a criterion of morally right action and hence to define the concepts of the morally right, the impermissible and moral duty in aretaic terms. This shows that contemporary authors assume a primacy of virtue, while Aristotle assumes a primacy of eudaimonia. I illustrate this distinction by addressing the question of how the virtues benefit their possessor.

고등학교 영어 교과서 속 칭찬과 칭찬응답

Objectives The purpose of the paper was to analyze two speech acts (compliment and compliment response) in high school English textbooks and to find whether they were presented authentically and accurately according to L2 pragmatic norms.
 Methods Compliments in 8 differing textbooks were analyzed in terms of three aspects of compliment (syntactic structures, lexicals and topics), and compliment responses in textbooks were categorized according to four types of response (acceptance, amendment, rejection and non-acknowledgement). Then the analyzed compliments and compliment responses were compared with those acts made by English native speakers.
 Results Compliments in textbooks heavily relied on specific syntactic structures, used a variety of adjectives rather than a limited set of adjectives, and focused more on personality than physical appearance as compliment topics, which showed clear differences from what English native speakers do in their performance of compliments. Also unlike native speakers who prefer acceptance by responding positively to compliments, compliment responses in textbooks over-used non-acceptance strategies through refusal or non-acknowledgement.
 Conclusions Given these results, English textbooks should be developed based only on pragmatic norms of target language speakers, not intuitions or L1 knowledge of textbook developers.

Pragmatic Dynamics of Some Foregrounded Computer Lexical Items in Nigerian Youth Discourse

This study set out to investigate instances of foregrounded computer lexical items in discourse, with the aim to examine their underlying contextual usage among some youth in Nigeria. The pragmatic dynamics of such foregrounded lexical items constitute the focus of the analysis. The pragmatic approach of conversational implicature was adopted as the theoretical framework for this study. The methodology adopted for this research was the qualitative approach. The research findings revealed that the conceptual meanings of the foregrounded computer lexical items were shifted to transcend their denotations such as to generate dependence on contextual forces for appropriate interpretation. Furthermore, it was observed that contextual factors triggered both the encoding and decoding of the deviation-type foregrounded computer lexical items. Propitiously, the notion of conversational implicature provides us with an explanation of utterance interpretation, in consonance with pragmatic norms, and consequently prevent breakdown in communication, which could be caused by deviation-type foregrounding. Based on the findings of this research, further studies on foregrounding as it relates to transfer of registers and their contextual implications are strongly recommended.

Teaching Pragmatics and Idealized Pragmatic Norms in English: Exploring Turkish EFL Teachers Perceptions

Teaching Pragmatics and Idealized Pragmatic Norms in English: Exploring Turkish EFL Teachers Perceptions

Bonjour la famille!

Abstract Rooted in African postcolonial pragmatics, this research pays particular attention to the strategic use of code-switching and other linguistic strategies for relationship maintenance in instant messaging communities that constitute translanguaging spaces. To this end, by means of a quantitative and computer-mediated communication discourse analysis, we examine the naturally-occurring interactions, on WhatsApp, of a group of 74 former university classmates who studied Spanish Philology in the mid-2000s at a Cameroonian university. The close observation of the group’s interactional strategies for relationship maintenance shows that members construct their online famille – their new social space for self-presentation – by means of (1) sociolinguistic and pragmatic norms drawn from indigenisation; (2) kinship terms as forms of address, in English and Spanish in texts mainly in French; and (3) the inclusion of religious terms as a politeness strategy. The use of Spanish as the tie-sign of the group is not as relevant as initially expected.

Hey, You! The Importance of Pragmatics in Localizations of Mass Effect in French and Spanish

The localization of video game dialog for diverse audiences is challenging because of differences in linguistic features between languages and pragmatic norms between cultures. For example, localizers must decide how to translate the English second-person singular pronoun “you” into languages that have a pragmatic distinction between formal and informal pronouns (e.g., “vous” and “tu” in French). These distinctions are used in social interaction to signal politeness, respect, and social distance, which are important elements that shape player experience in role-playing games. We analyze the dialog from French and Spanish localizations of Mass Effect and show they have strikingly different strategies for translating pronouns. French mostly uses formal pronouns while Spanish mostly uses informal pronouns. We explain how these differences affect player experience and argue that effective localization requires a clear strategy for dealing with pragmatics. We conclude by making practical suggestions for how game creators can better support localization.

Which English to teach?

The question of which English to teach has been an issue since the late-20th-century advent of the world Englishes (WE) paradigm. In the early 1990s, Quirk and Kachru conducted one of the most significant debates about this controversial issue in applied linguistics. Quirk (1990) argued that only standard native varieties that have no grammar deviations and adhere to mainstream vocabulary usage should be taught in order to counter the contamination of English resulting from tolerance of variations, observing that he was ‘not aware of there being any institutionalized nonnative varieties’ (p. 6). In contrast, Kachru (1991) argued that language variation due to language contact is a common sociolinguistic phenomenon, so Outer Circle varieties are not substandard or deficit languages. Therefore, he contended, traditional notions of standardization are no longer acceptable. He recommended that multiple localized varieties should be taught in Outer Circle contexts because they reflect learners’ linguistic and cultural identity. In relation to Kachru's argument, English as a lingua franca (ELF) has developed as a recent paradigm in TESOL. Kirkpatrick (2012) has argued that a lingua franca approach to English language teaching (ELT) helps prepare learners to use the language successfully in multilingual settings like ASEAN countries, where English functions as a lingua franca. In these settings, the teaching of ELF, in which speakers retain their own grammatical forms, phonological features, and pragmatic norms, needs to be promoted (Kirkpatrick 2011; Kirkpatrick, Subhan & Walkinshaw, 2016).

PRAGMATICS TEACHING BARRIERS IN EFL CLASSROOM

Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics that study about language and its context. In learning a second language, EFL learners need to have a pragmatic competence in order to be able to communicate effectively based on the context of the target language. There are some factors that can help learners improve their pragmatic competence, not only the EFL teachers who are competent in their field but also the tools and media that support the learning process. This study aimed to investigate (1) what the most common barriers to teaching pragmatics in EFL classrooms by Indonesian EFL teachers and (2) how pragmatic norms is provided in textbooks by the Indonesian authors. Qualitative used as the research methodology in this study. The participants of this study were 15 Indonesian EFL teachers from different schools -- junior and senior high schools. The writer used questionnaire as the instrument research. The participants were given questionnaires to find out what exactly the barriers found to teaching pragmatics in EFL classroom. English textbooks used in junior and senior high school written by Indonesian authors were also analyzed by the researcher. This study came up with the findings that (1) there are six common barriers to teaching pragmatics in EFL classroom by Indonesian EFL teachers and (2) most of the ELT textbooks do not consider the pragmatic norm in its content. Given the significance of students' pragmatic abilities, EFL teachers need to keep improving their research of teaching pragmatics in order to help EFL learners in developing their pragmatic competence.

THE TRANSLATION OF SPEECH ACTS IN ARABIC LEGAL DOCUMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF PALESTINE DIVORCE CONTRACTS

This study deals with the translation of speech acts in legal documents from Arabic into English. It aims at describing the translatability of speech acts to determine whether there are meaning loss or meaning gain and the reasons behind that. In doing so, the study follows Searle’s speech acts concept and taxonomy since Searle’s taxonomy is based on the illocutionary force of the speech act. Being a qualitative study, samples of translated divorce contracts have been collected from Palestinian sworn translators and translation certified offices. Speech acts have been identified, categorized, and analyzed based on Searle taxonomy. Then, the translation of the speech acts is analyzed in terms of the meaning of the illocutionary force of the different speech acts. The study has revealed that the illocutionary force is conveyed completely in some cases. In other cases, it is affected by the translators’ choices in using active voices instead of passive voices, present perfect and simple past instead of simple present, mistranslation of some verbs expressing directive force, probability modals instead of prohibition modals, style shift from direct speech into indirect speech, and omission of introducing verbs of speech act force. It is concluded that both sematic and pragmatic norms should be taken into consideration in translating speech acts of legal documents, which optimize Arabic - English legal translation.

The combinative use of “imperative + final particle” in Tokyo language in the Meiji period

Abstract Honorifics in Japanese as a rare linguistic system has received consistent attention in social and cultural linguistic studies. A typical linguistic structure of honorifics is “imperative + sentence-final particles (shuu-joshi)” (henceforth, “final particle”), which has been studied mainly as a compound expression in Tokyo language. Different from previous studies with separated attention towards imperative expressions and sentence-final particles in the Edo era as well as in modern Japan, this paper investigates the combinative use and diachronic changes of “imperative + final particle” during the Meiji period – a period of upheaval in the Tokyo dialect. The investigation takes multiple views including the positions and relations (social and psychological) between the interlocutors, and the context of the utterance. Results of the investigation lead to an insight into pragmatic norms and diachronic changes of the modern Tokyo dialect, specifically the tendencies, characteristics and the driving force. This study finds the particular expressive effect accomplished by the combinational use of “imperative + final particle” in the modern Tokyo dialect. The speaker shapes the degree of respect or politeness with the selective use of imperatives, and signals the communicative attitude by adding sentence-final particles. This linguistic form manifests the demand for “acting upon”, unveils the social construct and cultural norms embedded in inter-personal communication. The analysis on the developmental trend of “imperative + final particle” suggests that the prototype of the Tokyo dialect brings to prominence the across-status expressions as a result of social, political and educational reforms.

Interlocutors’ judgment of Lx conventional expressions: An exploratory study

Abstract The present study is a perception study that investigates how French L1 speakers evaluate the speech produced by advanced French Lx users that deviates from the pragmatic norms of the local community. More specifically, this exploratory study investigates how conventional expressions that displayed pragmalinguistic or sociopragmatic deviances affected the raters’ (N = 62) evaluation of perceived communicative effectiveness and perceived likeability of the speakers in imagined intercultural encounters. Results from the study revealed that deviances were generally judged more severely on both evaluative dimensions than the target conventional expressions. Interestingly, however, findings also showed that deviances that partly included the pragmalinguistic or sociopragmatic resources preferred by target community members were evaluated positively. Methodological recommendations to pursue this new line of inquiry in the field of intercultural pragmatics are also discussed.

A contrastive perspective on Moroccan learners’ (in) directness in their interlanguage requests

This study investigated interlanguage request performance by Moroccan learners of English (MLs) from a contrastive perspective. More specifically, it explored how MLs’ interlanguage requests converged or diverged from English Natives’ (ENs) requests in the use of strategy types and (in) directness. First, a contrastive pragmatic analysis of requests by Moroccan natives (MNs) and ENs is deemed necessary to provide native baseline data and establish MNs’ and ENs’ pragmatic norms of request performance. Second, an interlanguage request analysis is conducted to reveal the pragmatic features of MLs’ requests. The three sets of data for this study were collected via an open questionnaire as it serves the purpose of this investigation. The results revealed that MLs deviated from the ENs’ pragmatic norms of (in) directness, mostly by falling back on their native pragmatic norms, which bears testimony to pragmatic transfer. Requests do not seem to be conceived of in the same way by MNs and ENs, and MLs transferred their native request conception when performing in English. MLs used more direct strategies. The study predicts instances of cross-cultural misunderstanding and pragmatic failure in intercultural encounters between MLs and ENs, which is likely to cause undesirable cross-cultural clichés and stereotypes. The paper suggests some pedagogical implications to alleviate this problem among MLs. .

PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE OF ADVANCED SERBIAN EFL LEARNERS: A STUDY OF REFUSAL STRATEGIES

The present study explores refusal strategies used by advanced Serbian EFL learners and compares them to refusal strategies produced by English and Serbian native speakers in a relevant study (ŽIVKOVIĆ 2021). The aim is to identify potential pragmatic difficulties learners might have as well as the potential transfer of pragmatic norms from their native language. The participants completed a written Discourse Completion Test which introduced twelve everyday situations to which the participants were expected to respond by making refusals to requests. The situations were generated based on different combinations of two sociological variables: social distance and power. The results showed that while the frequency of direct and indirect refusals was similar for all three groups of participants, there were some differences in terms of the frequency and content of particular strategies. For instance, the EFL learners tended to overuse statements of regret/apology. They also provided more family-oriented excuses and used explanations that were less specific than the ones produced by the English native speakers. Furthermore, they produced fewer expressions of willingness and gratitude/appreciation. Apart from describing similarities and differences between the participants’ refusal strategies, the results also highlight the importance of incorporating pragmatics in EFL classrooms and working on learners’ pragmatic competence even when it comes to high-proficiency learners.

The Focus Theory of Hope

Abstract Most elpistologists now agree that hope for a specific outcome involves more than just desire plus the presupposition that the outcome is possible. This paper argues that the additional element of hope is a disposition to focus on the desired outcome in a certain way. I first survey the debate about the nature of hope in the recent literature, offer objections to some important competing accounts, and describe and defend the view that hope involves a kind of focus or attention. I then suggest that this account makes sense of the intuitive thought that there are moral and pragmatic norms on hope that go beyond the norms on desires and modal presuppositions. I conclude by considering some key questions.

Poetic Thinking Today: An Essay

Poetic Thinking Today: An Essay

The answer depends on pragmatic norms, semantic context-sensitivity, and epistemic reflection. A linguistic and epistemological analysis of the Danish Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36)

The answer depends on pragmatic norms, semantic context-sensitivity, and epistemic reflection. A linguistic and epistemological analysis of the Danish Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36)