Essay 4 - Pragmatics - Language Use

English 302
INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS
KENNY H. ANAY
Master of Arts in English Language - 2
Xavier University–ATENEO DE CAGAYAN
Maria Luisa S. Saministrado, Ph.D.

English 302 Professor
Essay 4
PRAGMATICS: Language Use
When a diplomat says yes, he means ‘perhaps’;

When he says perhaps, he means ‘no’;
When he says no, he is ‘not a diplomat.’
—Voltaire (Quoted, in Spanish, in Escandell 1993.)
STANFORD Encyclopedia of Philosophy has featured the above-boxed lines. Then

it gives comments on those lines saying: The lines — also attributed to H. L. Mencken and
Carl Jung — may or may not be fair to diplomats, but are surely correct in reminding us that
more is involved in what one communicates than what one literally says; more is involved
in what one means than the standard, conventional meaning of the words one uses. The
lines may imply that ‘the words ‘yes,’ ‘perhaps,’ and ‘no’ each has a perfectly identifiable
meaning, known by every speaker of English.’ The Encylopedia, though, further
comments. It elaborates that ‘as th[e] lines illustrate, it is possible for different speakers in
different circumstances to mean different things using those words. How is this possible?
What’s the relationship among the meaning of words, what speakers mean when uttering
those words, the particular circumstances of their utterance, their intentions, their actions,
and what they manage to communicate? These are some of the questions that pragmatics
tries to answer; the sort of questions that, roughly speaking, serve to characterize the field
of pragmatics. But what really is pragmatics? And how does it work? What is its role? Is it
practical or beneficial among language speakers and language learners?
The authoritative Encylopedia Britannica defines Pragmatics on its very sense and
on its merit. It says that Pragmatics, “in linguistics and philosophy, the study of the use of
natural language in communication; more generally, the study of the relations between
languages and their users. It is sometimes defined in contrast with linguistic semantics,
which can be described as the study of the rule systems that determine the literal
meanings of linguistic expressions.”
Pragmatics is the way we convey the meaning through the communication as
plainly the description in terms of linguistic perspective. The meaning includes verbal and
non-verbal elements and it varies according to the context. The variation has also
something to do with the relationship between utterers and also [to] many other social
factors. Its dynamic growth makes English an international language that connects
people all over the world. The official website of Linguistics aptly said that “pragmatics
outlines the study of meaning in the interactional context; it looks beyond the literal
meaning of an utterance and considers how meaning is constructed as well as focusing on
implied meanings. It considers language as an instrument of interaction, what people mean
when they use language and how we communicate and understand each other.” Thomas
says that pragmatics considers: (a) the negotiation of meaning between speaker and
listener; (b) the context of the utterance; and (c) the meaning potential of an utterance.
Moreover, since English language is the world’s lingua franca, then speakers must
know many pragmatic elements in order to avoid inaccuracies and misunderstandings
during communication. Speakers must possess the so-called pragmatic competence
which will help all those who speak or learn English as a second language. Pragmatic
competence as defined by Thomas is “the ability to analyze language in a conscious
manner.” Pragmatic competence refers to the ability to comprehend, construct
utterances which are accurate and appropriate to the social and cultural circumstances
where the communication occurs. Pragmatic competence should be a leading goal for all
those who teach English as a second language. Acquiring pragmatic competence is very
much involved in the way learners are taught at school, so a simple question should be
answered. Why is pragmatics important in the field of teaching? And how should
pragmatics be taught effectively? The last part of this essay answers these questions.
Teaching pragmatics to the learners means teaching them how to use the
language appropriately. Teachers but most especially learners do need pragmatics to
understand how language is used in a specific context. Context is always considered in
this area of study. More specifically, there about three practical ways on how the
teaching of pragmatics should be carried out. Firstly, the instructor or teacher should
start with observing and analyzing the language that he and his learners use; why he uses
certain phrases in one context; how he understands hidden meanings; and when it is
appropriate to use certain phrases when talking to the manager at work. Secondly, the
instructor needs authentic resources, from podcasts, audio recording, and some other
platforms, to newspaper articles and documentary films. These materials can now be
easily accesses, most of which can be downloaded and be accessed for free. Thirdly, the
instructor needs time to find, prepare and make those resources accessible, providing
the right context for the topic introduced. The instructor should see to it that all the
materials he is using are well-suited and are aligned with the lessons. Also, the materials
to be used should answer the objectives set forth.
The success of teaching and learning the fundamental principles of Pragmatics lies
on both the teachers and the learners. The materials that are employed by the teachers
are just aid in making the understanding of the discipline practical. The application of the
principles is what matters a lot. Thus, pragmatic competence will be achieved!
Main Sources:
Bristol Language School. (2017). Language teaching: what is pragmatics and why is it
important when teaching languages? Retrieved from https://www.bls-
courses.co.uk/language-teaching-pragmatics-important-teaching-languages/.
Deda, N. (2013). The role of pragmatics in English language teaching: pragmatic

competence. ResearchGate.
Encyclopedia Britannica. (2020). Linguistics and philosophy: pragmatics. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/pragmatics
Korta, Kepa and Perry, John (2020). Pragmatics. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(Spring 2020 Edition).

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English 302

Maria Luisa S. Saministrado, Ph.D.

PRAGMATICS: Language Use

When a diplomat says yes, he means ‘perhaps’;

—Voltaire (Quoted, in Spanish, in Escandell 1993.)

STANFORD Encyclopedia of Philosophy has featured the above-boxed lines. Then

Deda, N. (2013). The role of pragmatics in English language teaching: pragmatic

Encyclopedia Britannica. (2020). Linguistics and philosophy: pragmatics. Retrieved from

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