言语行为理论、合作原则

1Session12SpeechActTheoryandPrincipleofConversationReadings:Dai,Weidong,etal.ANewConciseCourseonLinguisticsforStudentsofEnglish.Shanghai:ShanghaiForeignLanguageEducationPress,2002.6.2Speechacttheory87-91.6.3Principleofconversation92-94.Hu,Zhuanglin,etal.Linguistics:ACourseBook.3rded.Beijing:PekingUniversityPress,2006.8.2Thetheoryofconversationalimplicature252-262.8.3Post-Griciandevelopments262-279.2Objectives(教学目的):Todrawyourattentiontospeechactsandspeechacttheory.Tofacilitateyoutounderstandtheclassificationofspeechacts.Tohelpyouusethecooperativeprincipletoanalyzebothspokenandwrittendiscourse.3Studyfocusandkeyissue(重点与难点)1.StudyfocusThespeechacttheoryThecooperativeprinciple2.KeyissueHowtounderstandtheimpliedmeaningofaspeechortextwiththehelpofthecooperativeprinciple?41.Whatisspeechacttheory?(Daietal.87-88;HendersonandBrown◆)SpeechacttheoryisatheoryoflanguagebasedonJ.L.Austin’sHowtoDoThingswithWords.Itsbasicviewisthatlanguageisasmuchamodeofactionasitisameansofconveyinginformation.AsJohnSearleputsit,alllinguisticcommunicationinvolveslinguisticacts.Linguisticcommunicationistheproductionofthesentenceintheperformanceofaspeechact.Thebasicemphasisofspeechacttheoryisonwhatanutterer(U)meansbyhisutterance(x)ratherthanwhatxmeansinalanguage(L).51a.Whatisspeechacttheory?(Daietal.87;BakerandMcenery◆)Speechacttheoryisaframeworkforstudyingallactsofcommunication.Speechactsconcernlocutionsandtheillocutionaryforcebehindlocutions.Ouraimincommunicationistorealisetheforceofalocution-whethertheaddresseeistotaketheutteranceasanassertion,aquestionoracommand.Example:Ababyscreams(thisisalocution).Hermotherpassesthebabyadummy(themother'sassumptionbeingthattheillocutionaryforcebehindthebaby'slocutionwas"Iwantmydummy!")Thebabyscreamsagain(anotherlocution).Themothertakesawaythedummyandgivesthebabyherbottle(assumption:theillocutionaryforcewasnot"Iwantmydummy!"Itwas"Iwantmybottle!")Thebabyiscontent.61b.Whatisspeechacttheory?(Daietal.87-88)6.2.1Austin’smodelofspeechactsSpeechacttheoryisanimportanttheoryinthepragmaticstudyoflanguage.ItwasoriginatedwiththeBritishphilosopherJohnAustininthelate50’softhe20thcentury.Itisaphilosophicalexplanationofthenatureoflinguisticcommunication.Itaimstoanswerthequestion“Whatdowedowhenusinglanguage?”Traditionallyphilosopherswereinterestedinthetruth-valueofsentences,i.e.,howtojudgewhetherasentenceistrueorfalse;theybelievedthatastatementwasusedeithertostateafactortodescribeastateofaffairs…71c.Whatisspeechacttheory?(Daietal.87-88;Theory◆)6.2.1Austin’smodelofspeechactsSpeechacttheoryisanimportanttheoryinthepragmaticstudyoflanguage.ItwasoriginatedwiththeBritishphilosopherJohnAustininthelate50’softhe20thcentury.Itisaphilosophicalexplanationofthenatureoflinguisticcommunication.Itaimstoanswerthequestion“Whatdowedowhenusinglanguage?”↓Speechacttheoryreferstoaphilosophicalexplanationofthenatureoflinguisticcommunicationaimingtoanswerthequestion“Whatdowedowhenusinglanguage.82.Whatisaspeechact?(Richardsetal.429)Aspeechactisanutteranceasafunctionalunitincommunication.Inspeechacttheory,utteranceshavetwokindsofmeaning:Propositionalmeaning(orlocutionarymeaning).Thisisthebasicliteralmeaningoftheutterance.Illocutionarymeaning(orillocutionaryforce).Thisistheeffecttheutterancehasonthelistener.Forexample,I’mthirsty.Propositionalmeaning:Whattheutterancesaysaboutthespeaker’sphysicalstate.Illocutionarymeaning:istheeffectthespeakerwantstheutterancetohaveonthelistener.Itmaybeintendedasarequestforsomethingtodrink.92a.Whatisaspeechact?(Richardsetal.429)Therearemanydifferentkindsofspeechactssuchasrequests,orders,commands,complaints,promises.Aspeechactwhichisperformedindirectlyisknownasanindirectspeechact,suchasthespeechactofrequesting“I’mthirsty”.Indirectspeechactsareoftenfelttobemorepolitewaysofperformingcertainkindsofspeechact,suchasrequestandrefusals.Inlanguageteaching,speechactsareoftenreferredtoas“functions”or“languagefunctions”.Therefore,weshouldpayspecialattentiontospeechactsaslanguagefunctions,orhowlanguageisusedtoaccomplishourtasksandgoals.103.Whatisthedifferencebetweenconstativesandperformatives?ThephilosopherAustindistinguishesbetweenconstativesandperformatives.Aconstativeisanutterancewhichassertssomethingthatiseithertrueorfalse:HangzhouisinZhejiang.HangzhouisnotinZhejiang.Aperformativeisanutterancewhichperformsanact:Watchout(=awarning)Ipromisenottobelate(=apromise).Theydifferinthattheformeroftenreportsanactwhilethelatterusuallyperformsanact.(Daietal.88;Richardsetal.339)114.WhatisAustin’snewmodelofspeechacttheory?(Daietal.88-89)124.WhatisAustin’snewmodelofspeechacttheory?(Daietal.88-89)Austin’snewmodelofspeechacttheoryAnutterance:It’scoldhere.Thespeaker’sactionofmakingthisutteranceThespeaker’sintentionofmakingthisutteranceThehearer’sresponsetothespeaker’sutterance“It’scoldhere.”Thespeakerwantssomeonetoclosethewindow.Thehearergoestoclosethewindow.LocutionaryactIllocutionaryactPerlocutionaryact135.WhatisSearle’sclassificationofspeechacts?Representatives:stating,describing,sayingwhatthespeakerbelievestobetrue.Youarestudyingveryhard.Itwascoldherelastnight.Directives:tryingtogetthehearertodosomething.Closethewindows.It’scoldhere.Commissives:committingthespeakerhimselftosomefuturecourseofaction.Ipromisenottobelateagain.Iwon’tbelateagain.Expressives:expressingfeelingsorattitudetowardsanexistingstate.I’msorrytohearthat.Thanksalot.Declarations:bringingaboutimmediatechangesbysayingsomething.InamethecatLily.(Compare:HenamedhiscatLily.)(Daietal.90-91)146.Whatarethe4maximsundertheprincipleofconversation?The4maximsundertheprincipleofconversation:ThemaximofquantityMakeyourcontributionasinformativeasrequired(forthecurrentpurposeoftheexchange).Donotmakeyourcontributionmoreinformativethanisrequired.ThemaximofqualityDonotsaywhatyoubelievetobefalse.Donotsaythatforwhichyoulackadequateevidence.ThemaximofrelationBerelevant.ThemaximofmannerAvoidobscurityofexpression.AvoidambiguityBebrief(avoidunnecessaryprolixity)Beorderly(Daietal.92-94)15Classwork16-1:FindoutconversationalimplicaturescausedbytheviolationofanyofthefourmaximsinthefollowingexcerptfromDavidCopperfield.3DavidtheOrphan‘David,mychild,’shesaidkindly,holdingmyhand,‘weallhavetoacceptthatourlovedonescandieatanymoment.’Ilookedather,tryingtounderstandwhatshemeant.‘I’msorrytotellyou,’shecontinued,‘thatyoumotherisdangerouslyill.’Therewasamistinfrontofmyeyes,andsuddenlyburningtearsrandownmyface.Iknewthetruth.‘Yourmotherisdead,’shesaid.(DavidtheOrphan)16Classwork16-2:Findoutconversationalimplicaturescausedbytheviolationofanyofthe4maximsin“WhatIsChinaSayinginCopenhagen?”.Utterancemeaningwithconversationalimplicature:Theytalk,andtalk,andtalk.Theagendaofsummits,meetingsbecomemyopic.Wemightaswelljustpackupandbuttofftoanotherplanetandkickstartanewcarboncyclealloveragain.—Saramyopic:Ifyoudescribesomeoneasmyopic,youarecriticalofthembecausetheyseemunabletorealizethattheiractionsmighthavenegativeconsequences.buttv.intr.Tohitorpushsomethingwiththeheadorhorns.(WhatIsChinaSayinginCopenhagen?★)17Classwork16-3:Findoutconversationalimplicaturescausedbytheviolationofanyofthe4maximsin“WhatIsChinaSayinginCopenhagen?”.Utterancemeaningwithconversationalimplicature:Asofawell-offurbancitizeninShanghai,IturnonAConly2-3hoursadayinthefreezingcolddays.While,whenIwasinUS,IturnonheaterafterIgothomeandturnitoffwhenIgotobed.Itiscoldandinconvenientbutthat’showwehavebeenliving.ManyAmericansIknowkeeptheheateronalldayorovernight,andtakethatforgranted…—Shanghainese(WhatIsChinaSayinginCopenhagen?★)18WorksCitedBaker,PaulandTonyMcenery.“SpeechActTheory”.LanguageAcquisition.2003.8Jan.2008.<http://bowland-files.lancs.ac.uk/chimp/langac/LECTURE3/3speech.htm>.◆◇Henderson,GreigE.andChristopherBrown.“GlossaryofLiteraryTheory.”1997.8Jan.2008.<http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/glossary/Speech_act_theory.html>.◆19Assignments(作业)PreviewDaietal.Chapter8Languageandsociety.PreviewHuetal.7.2.Languageandsociety?(pp.170-176)Researchpaperassignment:20WritearesearchpaperonanytopiccoveredinthesmallestsectioninDai’stextbookbetween500-800words.DueDec21,2010.