La modalité est un phénomène linguistique qui ne peut pas être défini à partir de critères uniquement sémantiques. Une définition complète de la modalité doit prendre en compte ses propriétés sémantiques, fonctionnelles et structurelles. Dans la présente étude, nous bâtissons d’abord un cadre théorique en nous servant d’une approche onomasiologique, pour ensuite analyser les différentes manières dont les sens modaux peuvent être exprimés en français de façon sémasiologique. Cette analyse s’attarde aussi sur des porteurs de modalité moins étudiés comme les particules modales, les verbes et les connecteurs impliquant le statut factuel ou assertif de la proposition qu’ils introduisent et le rapport entre la structure informationnelle et la modalité. Notre analyse s’appuie sur les corpus Frantext, WebCorp, Wortschatz Leipzig et la collection French Web 2012 de Sketch Engine et comprend plus de douze milliards de mots. Certaines caractéristiques des éléments modaux du français ne peuvent être relevées que lorsqu’ils interagissent avec d’autres éléments modalisant la même proposition. L’étude de ces manifestations complexes de la modalité complète ce portrait de la catégorie sémantico-fonctionnelle de la modalité en français. / Modality is a linguistic phenomenon that cannot be defined in purely semantic terms. A complete definition of modality has to take into account all of its semantic, functional, and structural properties. In the present work, we first build up a theoretic framework based on an onomasiological approach, and then analyze the different ways modal meanings can be expressed in French from a semasiological point of view. This analysis includes the elements most prototypical for the category of modality, such as modal verbs, modal adverbs and mood. Furthermore, it also takes into account less prototypical modal elements, such as modal particles, verbs and connectors implying the factual or assertive status of the proposition they introduce, as well as the relation between information structure and modality. The analysis is based upon the corpora Frantext, WebCorp, Wortschatz Leipzig and the text collection French Web 2012 in Sketch Engine. Certain properties of modal elements in French can only be detected when they interact with other elements modalizing the same proposition. The study of these complex manifestations of modality completes this portrait of the functional-semantic category of modality in contemporary French.

This study aimed to analyse organised interaction and assigned discussions occurring between students in EFL classrooms. It was conducted in order to identify the value-added in terms of learning by using discussion groups. Secondly, this study aimed to analyse how the contribution of models and approaches from pragmatics and discourse analysis can explain what is occurring during such conversations. Lastly, the structural and linguistic similarities and differences between teacher-to-student and student-to-student talk were also discussed. These questions were answered by examining four groups enrolled in English 6 in an upper secondary school located in the south part of Sweden. The qualitative data was collected through recordings from the students' discussions when they participated in a group speaking task as a part of the module of surveillance. The analysis of the data was conducted with the help of some of the aspects of conversation analysis. The results showed that not all of the participants in the group discussions sufficiently benefitted from the speaking task since, in most of the group, the need for the teacher's support was crucial in order for the students to use the target language and develop their speaking skills. In terms of the Speech Act Theory, the illocutionary acts identified in the conversations between students were that of the directive and assertive illocutionary acts used to pass the speaking turn to the other participants or to demonstrate agreement with the views of the previous turn. The conversational exchange was initiated by an opening framing move, followed by a response, but lacked follow-up moves in the form of feedback. Finally, there were some similarities and differences between teacher-to-student and student-to-student talk. The results showed that even if some of the students appeared to adapt to the role of the facilitator, they were not able to do so due to lack of knowledge to sufficiently support all the participants in order to be more active during the conversations and use the target language during the speaking task.

This study examines explicitness and implicitness in the instructions of eight English baking recipes and their translations into Swedish. The aim is to investigate whether the degree of explicitness changes in the translation. Additionally, the translation of reader address is examined to determine if it leads to an increase or decrease of the recipe explicitness. Illocution and speech act theory provide a theoretical framework for the analysis. In the examination of translated instructions, the study presents five analyzed verb constructions: the imperative, the passive, the modal auxiliary, the finite verb and the adverbial -ing-clause. In the examination of reader address, the study analyzes the translation of the English subject pronoun you. The results show that the translation keeps close to the ST structure and often renders the instructions with the same verb construction. However, there are instances for each analyzed feature where the translation provides more explicit instructions than the ST. Further, the results indicate that the translation of reader address is closely linked to the translation of the instructions; if the ST verb construction is altered in the TT, the ST reader address may either be translated or omitted in the TT. Additionally, the translator needs to interpret whether the address is aimed at a specific reader or a group of readers, as Swedish can translate the English pronoun you into either du, man, ni or det. The translation of the recipes was performed by the author of this paper, a beginner translator, which may have affected the results.

This dissertation is basically a reading the book of Lamentation as a literary whole in a sense of a text-centred approach, which aims to interpret the Scripture as divine communicative action. The major philosophical resources that I employ in this study are the Speech-Act theory developed by J. Austin and J. Searle, and the concepts particularly exemplified in the work of K. Vanhoozer. I look at repetition and literary techniques in Lamentations as a clue to its structural unity. In the body of the dissertation, Instead of historical-critical approaches, I claim that the meaning exists not ‘behind the text,’ but ‘in the text itself as a whole.’ One of the most important literary approaches to understanding the book of Lamentations is to note the poetic voices, which interweave in the text. The poetic voices are my main focus of understanding the book of Lamentations. I explain the literary meaning reading the text and demonstrate that we must find the canonical level of the meaning which supervenes on the literary level. The meaning of a text at a literary level must be carefully studied and modified by the ‘fuller sense (or meaning)’ derived from the canonical context. The ‘fuller sense’ of Scripture associated with divine authorship emerges only at the level of the whole canon. Here for the canonical meaning of the text, I focus on Vanhoozer’s assertion, having proposed the suitability of speech act theory for the various tasks of biblical interpretation and theological hermeneutics. When we read the text, there is no utterance from God in Lamentations. It is the missing voice. The main theme of Lamentations is "Where is the true comfort?". The text presents no comfort. In the literary context, God keeps silent (non-speaking). Canonically, however, Christian readers as God’s people read the Bible, connecting it to Jesus Christ. Within the canonical context, we can indeed find an answer and God’s answering speech (that is, His act), because Jesus is their true comforter acting as God’s response. We can find this response in his teaching (e.g. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount) and in his mission (e.g. presenting his body as the temple, being Immanuel, God-with-us). / Dissertation (MA(Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Old Testament Studies / unrestricted

In text linguistics coherence is seen as one of the key factors in communication and textual interpretation. Text linguistics, as an inter-disciplinary field of study concerning the textuality of texts in conjunction with coherence, can probably be of great importance in current musicology, especially as the problem concerning musical meaning, is still an ongoing debate. The design of a musical model of coherence relations is a new field of study and can not be connected to present day language models, therefore a new model should be invented. It should be kept in mind that adaptations in text linguistics can be of great influence in musicology today and on music in its relation to language. Musical interlocution forms the basis for musical coherence relations as method of musical communication. Musical communication has its origin in the top/cohesive surface of the musical text and disseminates to the lower/coherensive surface of the musical text. Although there is an interaction between musical cohesion and coherence, coherence relations are more concentrated on the lower level. Musical illocution and musical blended perlocution function within the coherensive musical and word texts. The listener plays a big role in this process, because musical coherence is the platform for musical interpretation. As listeners design a word text around the music text, musical blended perlocution through association results. The addition of associative meaning to the musical text has the result that the linguistic perlocution and the musical perlocution intermix with one another. One must keep in mind that perlocution differs in language and music. It will be indicated that musical coherence relations have a dual character. It will be argued here that the principles of musical textuality, adjusted from those text linguistically practised by De Beaugrande&Dressler (1981) and Carstens (1997, 2000, 2009), as well as the three musical functions, adapted from Austin's (1962) determination in language, figure strongly in J.S. Bach's Schübler Chorales. / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Music / unrestricted

This thesis deals with the theory of speech acts which is based mainly on analysis of speech and its function in communication. We use speech not only to convey something but to also do something, to change the state of things around us and to accomplish specific goals. Speech acts in a literary piece are then analyzed on theoretical basis, specifically in Milan Kundera's dramatic play Majitelé klíčů.