Directional adposition use in English, Swedish and Finnish

Directional adpositions such as to the left of describe where a Figure is in relation to a Ground. English and Swedish directional adpositions refer to the location of a Figure in relation to a Ground, whether both are static or in motion. In contrast, the Finnish directional adpositions edellä (in front of) and jäljessä (behind) solely describe the location of a moving Figure in relation to a moving Ground (Nikanne, 2003). When using directional adpositions, a frame of reference must be assumed for interpreting the meaning of directional adpositions. For example, the meaning of to the left of in English can be based on a relative (speaker or listener based) reference frame or an intrinsic (object based) reference frame (Levinson, 1996). When a Figure and a Ground are both in motion, it is possible for a Figure to be described as being behind or in front of the Ground, even if neither have intrinsic features. As shown by Walker (in preparation), there are good reasons to assume that in the latter case a motion based reference frame is involved. This means that if Finnish speakers would use edellä (in front of) and jäljessä (behind) more frequently in situations where both the Figure and Ground are in motion, a difference in reference frame use between Finnish on one hand and English and Swedish on the other could be expected. We asked native English, Swedish and Finnish speakers’ to select adpositions from a language specific list to describe the location of a Figure relative to a Ground when both were shown to be moving on a computer screen. We were interested in any differences between Finnish, English and Swedish speakers. All languages showed a predominant use of directional spatial adpositions referring to the lexical concepts TO THE LEFT OF, TO THE RIGHT OF, ABOVE and BELOW. There were no differences between the languages in directional adpositions use or reference frame use, including reference frame use based on motion. We conclude that despite differences in the grammars of the languages involved, and potential differences in reference frame system use, the three languages investigated encode Figure location in relation to Ground location in a similar way when both are in motion. Levinson, S. C. (1996). Frames of reference and Molyneux’s question: Crosslingiuistic evidence. In P. Bloom, M.A. Peterson, L. Nadel & M.F. Garrett (Eds.) Language and Space (pp.109-170). Massachusetts: MIT Press. Nikanne, U. (2003). How Finnish postpositions see the axis system. In E. van der Zee & J. Slack (Eds.), Representing direction in language and space. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Walker, C. (in preparation). Motion encoding in language, the use of spatial locatives in a motion context. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Lincoln, Lincoln. United Kingdo

Getting others to do things: A pragmatic typology of recruitments

Getting others to do things is a central part of social interaction in any human society. Language is our main tool for this purpose. In this book, we show that sequences of interaction in which one person’s behaviour solicits or occasions another’s assistance or collaboration share common structural properties that provide a basis for the systematic comparison of this domain across languages. The goal of this comparison is to uncover similarities and differences in how language and other conduct are used in carrying out social action around the world, including different kinds of requests, orders, suggestions, and other actions brought together under the rubric of recruitment

Organisation and Contents of Korean Pedagogical Grammar - With focus on Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar (Yeon & Brown)

This paper aims to discuss how Korean pedagogical grammar should be written in terms of organisation and description of content. The arguments in this paper will be presented in practical and empirical manners rather than theoretical ones. The problematic questions and empirical issues presented arose while the author was writing a pedagogical grammar book entitled ‘Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar’, published by Routledge in early 2011. The point about pedagogical grammar is that it is not the same as linguistic grammar because they have different functions and uses. Pedagogical grammar typically requires rules that are definite, coherent, consistent,non-technical,cumulative and heuristic. Actual problems and topics at issue are discussed in the paper and the book’s table of contents is presented at the end of the paper

Getting others to do things: A pragmatic typology of recruitments

Getting others to do things is a central part of social interaction in any human society. Language is our main tool for this purpose. In this book, we show that sequences of interaction in which one person’s behaviour solicits or occasions another’s assistance or collaboration share common structural properties that provide a basis for the systematic comparison of this domain across languages. The goal of this comparison is to uncover similarities and differences in how language and other conduct are used in carrying out social action around the world, including different kinds of requests, orders, suggestions, and other actions brought together under the rubric of recruitment

Subordinate’s Imperatives in Faculty Meetings: Pragmalinguistic Affordances in Tagalog and Local Academic Conditions

Subordinate’s imperatives are generally known to be a sort of a deviant speech act, especially when employed for a person in authority to do something. This paper explores two major dimensions that underpin the possible forbearance of the subordinate’s imperatives. Firstly, it is shown that the Tagalog basic imperative has pragmalinguistic properties that may be followed or broken based on some socio-pragmalinguistic affordances. Secondly, a number of contextual factors such as power, distance, and ranking, including the Filipino cultural and academic orientation of pakikisama or smooth interpersonal relationships are described. The study employed Conversation Analysis and socio-pragmatic analytic approach. The imperatives came from five meetings from three departments in a private university in Manila, Philippines. The meetings lasted for 5 hours and 50 minutes. Results show Tagalog Basic Imperative has pragmalinguistic properties that may be followed or broken based on the following likelihood: the awkwardness, indirectness and insincerity of mitigated imperatives; and the level of urgency for the hearer to do something. The giver’s socio-pragmatic conditions also hasten the production of imperatives. These results draw into the conclusion that local conditions are negotiated in during turns at talk. Within the sphere of a faculty meeting, subordinate’s imperatives are socio-pragmalinguistically legitimate, acceptable and non-deviant. Subordinate’s imperatives play an indispensable pragmatic role in the realization of the purpose of the meeting. Although the analyses are parochially based on Tagalog, implications of these microscopic findings bear out cross-linguistic, universal and cross-cultural relevance

Speech Acts on Women's Double Standards in Barbie's Monologue (2023)

This research aims to examine the speech act on Gloria Vaughn's monologue utterances from the 2023 Barbie film, concentrating on the distribution of expressive, assertive, directive, and commissive utterances. The analysis aims to carefully examine the verbal techniques employed in Gloria's speech, elucidating its emotional impact, advocacy for change, and cultural importance. Descriptive, statistical and interpretative methods were used to examine the data in accordance with J.L. Austin's speech act theory. The results demonstrate that 31.58% of Gloria's monologue consists of expressive utterances, 26.32% of assertive utterances, 26.32% of directive utterances, and 15.79% of commissive utterances. These figures highlight the emotional impact, call for change, and individual dedication intertwined within Gloria's persuasive speech. The analysis underscores the educational, artistic, and societal import of deconstructing Gloria's speech acts, accentuating its function as an instructive implement, a refraction instigator, and a potent artistic and emotive medium. The analysis results provide a more profound comprehension of the intricacies of womanhood and the resonant significance conveyed in Gloria's monologue. These insights are vital for academics, learners, and individuals engaging with societal challenges and self-recognition. Keywords: Pragmatics, Speech Acts, Utterance, Barbie 202

The Intersection of Language and Culture: A Pragmatic Analysis of Thai Verbs for ‘To Pay Respect’ and Their Sociocultural Implications

Cultural words invariably capture the attention of scholars from diverse fields due to their intrinsic connection with societal values, customs, traditions, and beliefs. Nevertheless, in-depth investigations into cultural words remain relatively scarce in Thai. This research centers on examining two fundamental Thai verbs, kràap (กราบ) and wâaj (ไหว้), linked initially with acts of paying respect. Employing data analysis firmly rooted in corpora of naturally occurring language, the results uncover the expansive nature of these verbs, encompassing a wide array of pragmatic functions, including expressing gratitude, praise, apologies, and requests. In particular, they possess the autonomy to function as speech acts in isolation. Given the central role that the gestures of kràap and wâaj occupy within the communication framework, metonymy emerges as a critical factor underpinning the development of these pragmatic functions. This research illuminates novel pathways for the creation of culture-specific intensifiers. By shedding light on the intricate interplay between language and culture, this study enhances our understanding of the cultural nuances inherent in these linguistic concepts, thereby deepening our appreciation of how culture permeates language