Chapter 5. Variation in the pragmatic use of conventional expressions
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Kathleen Bardovi-Harlig
Abstract
This chapter investigates variation in the use of conventional expressions as a pragmatic resource for realizing speech acts (the actional level of Barron & Schneider 2009). From the perspective of pragmatics, studying variation in the use of conventional expressions shows that some speech acts and contexts promote greater use of conventional expressions; additionally, some conventions are used by more speakers in a community than others, but the reasons require investigation. From the perspective of better understanding concepts such as conventional expressions, investigating variation in welldefined contexts such as those specified by the empirical study of pragmatics shows that basic units like conventional expression must be carefully defined, and that concepts such as ‘community-wide use’ or ‘social agreement’ must be quantified in some way to be meaningful.
Abstract
This chapter investigates variation in the use of conventional expressions as a pragmatic resource for realizing speech acts (the actional level of Barron & Schneider 2009). From the perspective of pragmatics, studying variation in the use of conventional expressions shows that some speech acts and contexts promote greater use of conventional expressions; additionally, some conventions are used by more speakers in a community than others, but the reasons require investigation. From the perspective of better understanding concepts such as conventional expressions, investigating variation in welldefined contexts such as those specified by the empirical study of pragmatics shows that basic units like conventional expression must be carefully defined, and that concepts such as ‘community-wide use’ or ‘social agreement’ must be quantified in some way to be meaningful.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Introduction 1
- Chapter 1. Pragmatic variation by gender in market service encounters in Mexico 17
- Chapter 2. Cross-cultural stances in online discussions 49
- Chapter 3. Pragmatic variation in therapeutic discourse 81
- Chapter 4. Disagreement and sociolinguistic variables 113
- Chapter 5. Variation in the pragmatic use of conventional expressions 141
- Chapter 6. Variation in NS-learner interactions 175
- Pragmatic variation in learner perception 209
- Chapter 8. Variationist sociolinguistics, L2 sociopragmatic competence, and corpus analysis of classroom-based synchronous computer-mediated discourse 239
- Research methods for describing variation in intercultural pragmatics for cultures in contact and conflict 271
- Chapter 10. Between pragmatics and sociolinguistics 295
- Chapter 11. Conclusions 319
- Index 337
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Introduction 1
- Chapter 1. Pragmatic variation by gender in market service encounters in Mexico 17
- Chapter 2. Cross-cultural stances in online discussions 49
- Chapter 3. Pragmatic variation in therapeutic discourse 81
- Chapter 4. Disagreement and sociolinguistic variables 113
- Chapter 5. Variation in the pragmatic use of conventional expressions 141
- Chapter 6. Variation in NS-learner interactions 175
- Pragmatic variation in learner perception 209
- Chapter 8. Variationist sociolinguistics, L2 sociopragmatic competence, and corpus analysis of classroom-based synchronous computer-mediated discourse 239
- Research methods for describing variation in intercultural pragmatics for cultures in contact and conflict 271
- Chapter 10. Between pragmatics and sociolinguistics 295
- Chapter 11. Conclusions 319
- Index 337
