This document provides definitions and discussions of semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics. It begins by defining semantics as the study of word and sentence meaning, while pragmatics involves studying how speakers use language in different contexts. Sociolinguistics examines how social factors influence language use. The implications of understanding these fields include helping students communicate more effectively in various social situations and cultural contexts. Overall, the document argues that semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics are important areas of linguistic study that provide insights into how language interacts with society.
This document provides definitions and discussions of semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics. It begins by defining semantics as the study of word and sentence meaning, while pragmatics involves studying how speakers use language in different contexts. Sociolinguistics examines how social factors influence language use. The implications of understanding these fields include helping students communicate more effectively in various social situations and cultural contexts. Overall, the document argues that semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics are important areas of linguistic study that provide insights into how language interacts with society.
This document provides definitions and discussions of semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics. It begins by defining semantics as the study of word and sentence meaning, while pragmatics involves studying how speakers use language in different contexts. Sociolinguistics examines how social factors influence language use. The implications of understanding these fields include helping students communicate more effectively in various social situations and cultural contexts. Overall, the document argues that semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics are important areas of linguistic study that provide insights into how language interacts with society.
This document provides definitions and discussions of semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics. It begins by defining semantics as the study of word and sentence meaning, while pragmatics involves studying how speakers use language in different contexts. Sociolinguistics examines how social factors influence language use. The implications of understanding these fields include helping students communicate more effectively in various social situations and cultural contexts. Overall, the document argues that semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics are important areas of linguistic study that provide insights into how language interacts with society.
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Concept Paper
Submitted By: Hanah R. Mocoy
Submitted to: Mr. Ruben F. Asan Ph.D I. Concept
Semantics and Pragmatics
According to Griffiths (2006:6) semantics is the study of sentence meaning and word meaning. To support this idea, Kearns (2000:1) states that semantics deals with the literal meaning of words and the meaning of way they are combined, which taken together form the core of meaning, or the starting point from which the whole meaning of a particular utterance is constructed. It means that semantics is the study of linguistic meaning which is dealt with word meaning and words that are combined which has a complete sense. From the sentence, I forgot the paper, semantics provide the literal meaning of the elements, I, forget, past tense, the, and paper and the meaning drawn from the order of the words. On the other hand, Servius and Donatus in Horn (2006:1) say that pragmatics is as a figure in which we say less but mean more.
In addition, Griffiths (2006:6) defines pragmatics as linguistic study of utterance
meaning. In advanced, Cruse (2000:16) in Cummings (2005:2) defines that pragmatics can be taken to be concerned with aspect of information (in the widest sense) conveyed through language which (a) are not encoded by generally accepted convention in the linguistic forms used, but which (b) none the less arise naturally out of and depend on the meanings conventionally encoded in the linguistic forms used, taken in conjunction with the context in which the forms are used. From the above definitions, between semantics and pragmatics, it can be briefly figured out that both of linguistic studies of meaning are absolutely distinctive. The notion of linguistic study of meaning should be disintegrated in term of sentence meaning particularly in semantics and utterance meaning in pragmatics. In other words, it can be said that if it dealt with meaning and there is not context to consider, then semantics is used, however, if there is a context to be brought into consideration, pragmatics is used (Griffiths, 2006:6).
Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is the study of the relationship between language and society, how language functions in a community, how people in community use language as well as how this language usage reflects the social identity of the users. There are several possible relationships between language and society. One is that social structure may either influence or determine linguistic structure and/or behavior. A second possible relationship is directly opposed to the first: linguistic structure and/or behavior may either influence or determine social structure. A third possible relationship is that the influence is bi-directional: language and society may influence each other (Wardhaugh, 2005).
Trudgill (1974: 32) states that sociolinguistics is a part of linguistics which is concerned with language as a social and cultural phenomenon. The way people talk is determined by social context in which their speaking takes place. People select language which is suitable with the situation in which they are talking, who they are speaking to, and how close their relation with the hearers. By regarding these factors, people may convey their message in different ways or in different language varieties. Varieties of language along racial, ethnic, and social lines have been too apparent in many countries, including America and Britain (Holmes, 2001:190). Sociolinguistics deals with explaining why people speak differently in different social contexts and with identifying the social function of language as well as describing the ways it is used to convey social meanings.
II. Discussion
We can extract from the definitions of the author’s abovementioned the following:
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between words, phrases and other bits of language and on how these words and phrases connect to the world. Pragmatics is similar, but it involves the study of how speakers of a language use the language to communicate and accomplish what they want. Pragmatics helps the translator or the interpreter in finding clues in the utterances the speakers make which leads him to find the appropriate equivalent in the target language. It is worth mentioning that they both are concerned with (meaning) but each in its own unique and different way. Sociolinguistics is concerned with how language use interacts with, or is affected by, social factors such as gender, ethnicity, age or social class. Sociolinguists are interested in how we speak differently in varying social contexts, and how we may also use specific functions of language to convey social meaning or aspects of our identity Sociolinguistics teaches us about real-life attitudes and social situations. People adjust the way they talk to their social situation. An individual, for instance, will speak differently to a child than he or she will to their college professor. This will determine the region, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, and gender.
III. Implications
The purpose of study, application and usage of semantics, pragmatics and
sociolinguistics in teaching and learning activities are ;
help students become more effective, fluent and successful communicators in the target language. give them understanding that language is composed of not just linguistic and lexical elements; rather, language reflects also the social context will be able to act different communicative patterns, they will find themselves active and involved in concrete acts in the classroom as well as in the environment that they live in. It will secure them good levels of grammatical and functional competences. They will react fluently, coherently and accurately. It will urge the learner’s critical thinking facilitate the learners’ sense of being able to find socially appropriate language for the situations that they encounter. help the learners become familiar with the range of devices and practices in the target language
IV. Remarks and Reactions
Language is a means of communication used by people in any kind of social
interaction. The use of language is one of the salient attributes that distinguish humans from other creatures. Therefore, understanding language is an important part of understanding humanity in general. Semantics, Pragmatics and sociolinguistics are studies within the social platform called Linguistics in ways to better understand language. The purpose of which is the attainment of understanding in the mutual sense. Understanding, progress and peace are the reasons we study meaning. Semantics deals with textual meaning, that is using the sign and the signified relationship for its interpretation, on the other hand, Pragmatics helps the translator or the interpreter in finding clues in the utterances the speakers make which leads him to find the appropriate equivalent in the target language.
Another approach to language and society focuses on the situations and uses of language as an activity in its own right. The study of language in its social context tells us quite a bit about how we organize our social relationships within a particular community which we do in sociolinguistics. In conclusion, each branch of linguistics is as important as the other and having knowledge in all of these will be a great help for the learners in the enhancement of their communicative language. V. References and Sources
Bardovi-Harlig, K., Hartford, B. A. S., Mahan-Taylor, R., Morgan, M. J., & Reynolds, D. W. (1991). Developing pragmatic awareness: Closing the conversation. ELT Journal, 45(1), 4- 15. Bialystok, E. (1993). Bardovi-Harlig, K. (1996).Pragmatics and language teaching. Bringing pragmatics
and pedagogy together. Pragmatics and Language Learning, 7, 21-39.
Bardovi-Harlig, K. (1996) Pragmatics and language teaching: Bringing pragmatics
and pedagogy together. In L. F. Bouton (Ed.), Pragmatics and language learning,Vol. 7, pp. 21-39. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: Division of English as an International Language. Halliday, A. (1997). Appropriate Methodology and Social Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Le, Page, R. B. 1978. “Sociolinguistics and the problem of Competence.” In V. Kinsella (ed.) Language Teaching and Linguistics: Surveys. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. Lyons, John. 1990. Language and Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. Mey, L. Jacob. 1993. Pragmatics: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Symbolic representation and additional control in pragmatic. Interlanguage pragmatics. (pp. 43- 57). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Brock, M. N. (2005). Teaching Pragmatics in the EFL Classroom? Sure You Can!. TESL Reporter, 38(1), 17-26.
Wong Fillmore, L. (2006). Language in Education. In E. Finegan & J. R. RickfordLanguage
in the USA (pp. 339-360). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
