Breadcrumb

Pragmatics

Course
LI2104
Master’s level
7.5 credits (ECTS)
Study pace
50%
Time
Day
Location
Göteborg
Study form
Campus
Language
English
Duration
-
Application period
-
Application code
GU-24055
Tuition
Full education cost: 11 498 SEK
First payment: 11 498 SEK

No fees are charged for EU and EEA citizens, Swedish residence permit holders and exchange students.

More information about tuition fees


Study pace
50%
Time
Day
Location
Location independent
Study form
Distance
Language
English
Duration
-
Application period
-
Application code
GU-24057
Tuition
Full education cost: 11 498 SEK
First payment: 11 498 SEK

No fees are charged for EU and EEA citizens, Swedish residence permit holders and exchange students.

More information about tuition fees

Summary

This is an advanced course in Pragmatics, a field of linguistics concerning the scientific understanding of how language is used. It provides an in-depth understanding of basic pragmatic concepts, how pragmatic theories are developed under the guidance of current scientific methodologies, and how to conduct sound pragmatic analyses of authentic linguistic materials.

The course will also introduce the history of pragmatics, and its relationship to sociology, psychology, and language technology.

About

This is an advanced course in Pragmatics, a field of linguistic study that concerns the scientific and detailed understanding of how language is used in naturalistic settings. The main focus will be on the social and psychological implications of various phenomena in natural languages that cannot be explained simply by appeal to the syntax and semantics of particular languages. We will be concerned with aspects of meaning that go beyond truth-conditional content and are related to how language is used in context, including conversational implicatures (inferences that arise through reasoning about the speaker’s adherence to conversational maxims like “Be as informative as you can”), presuppositions (notions that a speaker or an utterance present as taken for granted) and speech acts (that is the various linguistic forms through which people accomplish actions with language). Phenomena like these will lead us to consider the view that meaning in human conversation is a product of the lexical meaning of words, the syntax/semantics of the linguistic constructions employed, and how these interact with the context of use and speakers'/hearers' assumptions (the common ground).

The course is geared towards students who want to deepen their understanding of concepts in pragmatics needed to pursue their studies in linguistics and related disciplines (such as psychology, information science, computational linguistics, philosophy, literature, etc.). On this basis, the course then provides a detailed and thorough understanding of basic pragmatic concepts, how pragmatic theories are developed under the guidance of current scientific methodologies, and how to conduct sound pragmatic analyses of authentic linguistic materials. Several current pragmatic theories are discussed in detail and partially formalized. Opportunity will also be given to analyse authentic natural language materials, e.g., conversational dialogue or narrative texts, to determine how the theories and ideas taught apply in empirical research areas. The course will also briefly introduce the history of pragmatics as a discipline within linguistics with roots in philosophy, the relationship of pragmatics to neighbouring linguistic fields, and the practical uses of pragmatics research in sociology, psychology, and language technology.

Prerequisites and selection

Selection

Selection is based upon the number of credits from previous university studies, maximum 165 credits.

Facilities

For those who study the course on campus, teaching takes place in the Faculty of Humanities' premises in central Gothenburg. Renströmsgatan 6.

 

For those who study the course remotely, teaching takes place online.

More information about facilities

Exchange opportunities

There are also opportunities to study abroad for students on freestanding courses. Within the humanities, you can choose to go on an educational student exchange.

More information about exchange opportunities

Recommended study route

The course is mainly taught by means of lectures, seminars, workshops and project work (or equivalent).