Objectives In this chapter we will look at some general features of Britain and set the scene for the more detailed examination of particular aspects of life there which are dealt with in later chapters

Outline Introduction Pragmatics Principles underlying the implicature phenomenon Types of implicature Examples

I What is Pragmatics Pragmatics is the study of language usage from a functional perspective and is concerned with the principles that account for how meaning is communicated by the speaker (writer) and interpreted by the listener (reader) in a certain context

L. Austin How to do things with words. Locutionary Acts Saying something about something Illocutionary acts Doing something by saying something Perlocutionary Acts

Some languages have different forms or you French‘ tu/vous”. German“ du sie for example). These may originally have indicated number(vous\and\Sie\) used for plural forms but now show different levels of formality with\tu and\a'\ being more familiar,“\vos” and\Sie” more polite

What is Pragmatics We human beings are odd compared with our nearest animal relatives. Unlike them, we can say what we want when we want. All normal humans can produce and understand any number of new words and sentences

Language is a system of symbols ymbols are objects, events, speech sounds, written forms, gestures, which humans attach meaning Symbols operate in changing fields of social relationships symbols are multivocal --enables a wide range of

Language is an essential and important part of a given culture and the impact of culture up a given language is something intrinsic and indispensable

The reasonable person adapts himself to the world while the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt he world to himse!.” George bernard Shaw

Do speakers of languages think differently? Do the differences in thought stem from the linguistic diferences e or, are the diferences in thought due to cultural Inon-linguisic) infuences?