2012-speech-act-theory-2-3

SpeechActTheory(SAT)Weeks2-3Review•Originsofpragmatics:semiotics;philosophy;linguistics•Status/Schoolsofpragmatics:branchorperspective•Componentsofpragmatics:(aspectsof)context,(aspectsof)user;language(viauserincontext),communicativeneeds;rulesandprinciplesoflanguageuse.•Aspectsofpragmatics:pragma-linguistic,social(interpersonal),societal,cognitive,etc.•PurposesofpragmaticsSpeech&Act•Actionsspeaklouderthanwords.•Easiersaidthandone.Austin:noclear-cutboundarybetweenspeakingandacting•Congratulatingsomeonebysaying“Congratulations!”orbygivingsomeoneapatonthebackorthethumbsupsign•Givingagiftbysaying“It’syours.”•…theissuingoftheutteranceistheperformingofanaction–itisnotnormallythoughtofasjustsayingsomething.•…tosaysomethingisinthefullnormalsensetodosomething.---JohnAustin,HowtoDoThingswithWords,1962:77PhilosophicalbackgroundAnalyticphilosophy(20thcentury):languageatthecoreofphilosophya.Logicalpositivismoflanguageinthe1930s:theonlymeaningfulstatementsarethosethatareanalyticandcanbetestedempirically.[truth-conditionalsemantics,relatingmeaningtotruthconditions(truthorfalsity),definemeaningintermsoftruthvalueconditions];naturallanguageisimperfect,vague/fuzzy,cannotpreciselystatephilosophicalissues;needtoconstructartificiallanguageb.Ordinarylanguagephilosophy:meaningisuse;asentenceisnotequaltoitsuse;onlyasentenceinusecanbetrueorfalse;manysentencesarenotsubjecttotrue/falseanalysis;naturallanguageisgoodenough;whatislackingistherightanalysis.Priortothe1950slinguisticsconcentratedonthestudyoftheformandstructureoflanguageandthestudyofmeaningpertainedtothefieldofphilosophy.In1962Austin’sHowtoDoThingswithWordsexplainedforthefirsttimehowtheformoflanguagerelatestoitsmeaningandfunction.In1969Searle’sSpeechActscontinuedtheexplorationcommencedbyAustin.HowToDoThingsWithWords(1962)[“WordsandDeeds”lecturesfirstatOxfordin1952-1954andthenatHarvardin1955]ExponentsofspeechacttheoryJohnSearleJohnAustinJohnLangshawAustin•BorninLancaster,Britainin1911,diedin1960.Consideredasfatherofpragmatics(JennyThomas,1995).•OpposedtoRussell（罗素、拉塞尔？）’sviewthatnaturallanguageisimperfect,arguingthatordinarypeoplemanagetocommunicateextremelyeffectivelyandunproblematicallyandresearchersneedtounderstandhowitisthatpeopledoso.JohnSearle•ProfessorofthePhilosophyofMindandLanguage,UniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley148MosesHall•[e-mail]•“Speechacts”refertoactionsperformedviautterances.Theyare“thebasicorminimalunitsoflinguisticcommunication”.•“Theunitoflinguisticcommunicationisnot,ashasgenerallybeensupposed,thesymbol,wordorsentence,…butrathertheproductionofthesymbolorwordorsentenceintheperformanceofthespeechact”—Searle•Nolittering.•Areyoufreethisafternoon?Ilikeyoutogoshoppingwithme.Youknowwhat’ssuitableforme.June2DearMr.GaryHopkins,I,onbehalfofmyschool,cordiallyrequestyourpresenceattheconcerttobegivenbytheStateOrchestraat7p.m.,Tuesday,September28th,atPeople’sGreatHall.Yourearlyreplyatyourconveniencewillbegreatlyappreciated.Telephone:[phone]Yourssincerely,AllanGreenPerformativeVs.ConstativeAustin’sdichotomy:•Constativeutterance（言有所述）•Performativeutterance（言有所为）[sayingisdoing;containingaperformativeV]Theearthisround./Wearehavingclass.(Constative)Ipromisetogiveyoutendollars.(Performative)Performativeverbs（施为动词）I(Vp)youthat…IpromiseI’llbethere.IadmitIwasfoolish.Iwarnyou,thisgunisloaded.Iorderyoutositdown•ExplicitperformativesIpromiseIwillattendyourwedding.•Implicit/primaryperformativesIwillattendyourwedding.Sitdown.Howaboutsometea?Insertionof“hereby”•Iapologizetoyou.•Ithankyou.•Iapologize.Hereby+Vp•?Shethanksyou.•?I’veapologizedtoyou.•?Iamwarnednottodothatagain.ASK:Whatgrammaticalfeaturesdoperformativesshare?•Explicitperformativeshereby-test:firstpersonsubject,simplepresenttense,indicativemood,activevoice,performativeverbsOn1April,2001,aU.S.EP-3collidedmidairwithaChineseF-8II,destroyingtheChineseplaneandkillingthepilot.On8April,SecretaryofStatePowellusedtheword“sorry”forthefirsttime,saying“Wehaveexpressedregretsandwehaveexpressedoursorrow,andwearesorrythatalifewaslost.”Inresponsetothis,ChinademandedafullapologyfromtheU.S.,inthat“Sorryisnice,butnotwhatChinawants.”ASK:(1)Whatdoesitmeanby“afullapology”?WhydoPowell’swordsfailtocountasafullapology?(2)ChinalaterdeclaredthattheAmericangovernmenthadmadeaseriousapology.However,accordingtoTheMichiganDaily,“TheUnitedStatescouldsayitdidn’tapologize,andChinacouldsayitdid.”WhycanPowell’swordsbeinterpretedinthesetwocontrastingways?We’resorry…Weapologize…(TheSino-Americaaircollisionincident)•鲍威尔拒绝对撞机事件进行道歉，而只是说遗憾2001年4月5日07:57中国日报网站•美国国务卿科林-鲍威尔4月4日说，他对撞机事件表示遗憾，但却闭口不提道歉二字。鲍威尔说：我们对中国飞机没有安全降落感到遗憾，我们对中国飞行员的罹难表示遗憾。他说：但我们还得继续下去。我们需要达成一个解决方案。我们正在使用所有可利用的渠道在同中国方面进行会谈，以交换解释并将此事继续下去。中国方面要求美方做出道歉，但鲍威尔4月3日说，美方没什么可道歉的。（董志新）•Practice:Ineachofthefollowinggroups,onlythea-utterancesareperformativeinAustin’sterms.Thinkwhytheb-utterancesandc-utterancesarenotperformative.(1)a.IadmitIwaswrong.b.IknowIwaswrong.c.IthinkIwaswrong.(2)a.Iapologizetoyou.b.Iamuseyou.c.Iflatteryou.(3)a.Wepromisetoleave.b.Headmitshewaswrong.c.I