This thesis deals with a pragmalinguistic analysis of Themen aktuell, a German textbook used in language courses for adults and teenagers. The first theoretical part describes gender stereotypes. The second practical part provides a detailed analysis of diverse situations in life as they appear from male and female viewpoints. The paper aims to examine the textbook so as to prove or disprove a hypothesis predicting that the book's conception creates a stereotypical image of men and women. To support the thesis, the author prepared a questionnaire and distributed it among a target group of 50 secondary school students in an attempt at seeking their opinions.

Diploma thesis "Language of the Internet News versus Journalistic Language in the print media: Pragmalinguistic Analysis", deals with the phenomenon of convergence of the Internet news language and language of the journalistic texts in print media. Our research verifies hypothesis that "language of the Internet news has much in common with the language of the journalistic texts in print media." About thirty-eight journalistic texts and internet news from MF DNES and Lidové noviny newspapers and www.idnes.cz and www.lidovky.cz websites were analyzed. Also selected concepts of pragmalinguistic and linguistic text analysis were chosen to identify these in common phenomena and to draw conclusions on the convergence of the internet news language and language of the journalistic news in print media. Diploma thesis examines only those linguistic phenomena that appear both in the Internet news and print journalistic texts.

The diploma thesis entitled 'Pragmalinguistic Analysis of Commercial Communication of the Brand Activia by Danone' aims to provide a comprehensive treatise of the above mentioned brand from the point of view of pragmatic and linguistic theories, based on a selected sample of advertising from 2010 - 2014. The introductory theoretical part defines the functions of advertising and their idiosyncratic communication and place them within the wider context of marketing. Subsequently, the position of the product within the segment offered by Danone is described and comparison of the respective marketing strategies for each product is made. The methodological section of the thesis introduces pragmatic linguistics as the central tool used in the ensuing analysis. Here the terms related to the process of communication are emphasised, same as the relationships between the creator of a text, its recipient and the text itself. The last, analytical part deals with selected samples of commercial communication using the aforementioned methods. A sample of Activia Danone communication is then used to analyse the usage of individual linguistic and stylistic means, as well as advertising types with emphasis on their goals as a form of communication.

The present study investigates pragmatic transfer by Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) at low and high proficiency levels in email requests. Data was elicited using an email production questionnaire consisting of four email situations, which vary along two social dimensions: relative power, either equal or higher, and size of imposition, either big or small. Four groups of participants, who were all university students, took part in the study. Thirty-seven Chinese native speakers of Mandarin and 35 Australian native speakers of English provided the baseline data. Thirty-five Chinese EFL learners at low proficiency level and 38 Chinese EFL learners at high proficiency level provided the target data. Altogether 580 emails were collected. Data was classified according to an adapted version of the coding scheme developed by Blum-Kulka et al. (1989). Email requests were analyzed at both the utterance and discourse levels. At the utterance level, directness level, strategy types and internal modifiers were examined. At the discourse level, external modifiers, including all the supportive moves in the opening, body, and closing of an email request were analyzed. Following Beebe et al. (1990), data was looked at in terms of the frequency, content and average number of pragmatic features. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods were adopted. To determine evidence of pragmatic transfer, first, the Chinese baseline data and the English baseline data were compared. The EFL data was then compared with that of the two baseline groups. Pragmatic transfer was confirmed if the EFL data resembled the Chinese baseline data but differed from the English baseline data. In addition, the instances of pragmatic transfer displayed by the EFL groups at low and high proficiency levels were compared to examine the correlation between pragmatic transfer and language proficiency, that is, whether pragmatic transfer increases or decreases as learners’ language proficiency increases. Pragmatic transfer was investigated on both pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic levels. Findings of the present study show that pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic transfer occurred at the utterance and the discourse levels in all three areas: the frequency, content and average number of pragmatic features, by both the low and high proficiency EFL learners. Moreover, a comparison of the performance of requests by the two learner groups indicates that the high proficiency learners had a greater amount of pragmatic transfer than the low proficiency learners. The findings of this study lend strong support to the positive correlation hypothesis proposed by T. Takahashi and Beebe (1987). The findings of the present study highlight the importance of the inclusion of pragmatic components in foreign language teaching. Pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed. Possible suggestions regarding how to improve the EFL learners’ pragmatic competence are provided.

The present study investigates pragmatic transfer by Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) at low and high proficiency levels in email requests. Data was elicited using an email production questionnaire consisting of four email situations, which vary along two social dimensions: relative power, either equal or higher, and size of imposition, either big or small. Four groups of participants, who were all university students, took part in the study. Thirty-seven Chinese native speakers of Mandarin and 35 Australian native speakers of English provided the baseline data. Thirty-five Chinese EFL learners at low proficiency level and 38 Chinese EFL learners at high proficiency level provided the target data. Altogether 580 emails were collected. Data was classified according to an adapted version of the coding scheme developed by Blum-Kulka et al. (1989). Email requests were analyzed at both the utterance and discourse levels. At the utterance level, directness level, strategy types and internal modifiers were examined. At the discourse level, external modifiers, including all the supportive moves in the opening, body, and closing of an email request were analyzed. Following Beebe et al. (1990), data was looked at in terms of the frequency, content and average number of pragmatic features. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods were adopted. To determine evidence of pragmatic transfer, first, the Chinese baseline data and the English baseline data were compared. The EFL data was then compared with that of the two baseline groups. Pragmatic transfer was confirmed if the EFL data resembled the Chinese baseline data but differed from the English baseline data. In addition, the instances of pragmatic transfer displayed by the EFL groups at low and high proficiency levels were compared to examine the correlation between pragmatic transfer and language proficiency, that is, whether pragmatic transfer increases or decreases as learners’ language proficiency increases. Pragmatic transfer was investigated on both pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic levels. Findings of the present study show that pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic transfer occurred at the utterance and the discourse levels in all three areas: the frequency, content and average number of pragmatic features, by both the low and high proficiency EFL learners. Moreover, a comparison of the performance of requests by the two learner groups indicates that the high proficiency learners had a greater amount of pragmatic transfer than the low proficiency learners. The findings of this study lend strong support to the positive correlation hypothesis proposed by T. Takahashi and Beebe (1987). The findings of the present study highlight the importance of the inclusion of pragmatic components in foreign language teaching. Pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed. Possible suggestions regarding how to improve the EFL learners’ pragmatic competence are provided.

The present study investigates pragmatic transfer by Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) at low and high proficiency levels in email requests. Data was elicited using an email production questionnaire consisting of four email situations, which vary along two social dimensions: relative power, either equal or higher, and size of imposition, either big or small. Four groups of participants, who were all university students, took part in the study. Thirty-seven Chinese native speakers of Mandarin and 35 Australian native speakers of English provided the baseline data. Thirty-five Chinese EFL learners at low proficiency level and 38 Chinese EFL learners at high proficiency level provided the target data. Altogether 580 emails were collected. Data was classified according to an adapted version of the coding scheme developed by Blum-Kulka et al. (1989). Email requests were analyzed at both the utterance and discourse levels. At the utterance level, directness level, strategy types and internal modifiers were examined. At the discourse level, external modifiers, including all the supportive moves in the opening, body, and closing of an email request were analyzed. Following Beebe et al. (1990), data was looked at in terms of the frequency, content and average number of pragmatic features. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods were adopted. To determine evidence of pragmatic transfer, first, the Chinese baseline data and the English baseline data were compared. The EFL data was then compared with that of the two baseline groups. Pragmatic transfer was confirmed if the EFL data resembled the Chinese baseline data but differed from the English baseline data. In addition, the instances of pragmatic transfer displayed by the EFL groups at low and high proficiency levels were compared to examine the correlation between pragmatic transfer and language proficiency, that is, whether pragmatic transfer increases or decreases as learners’ language proficiency increases. Pragmatic transfer was investigated on both pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic levels. Findings of the present study show that pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic transfer occurred at the utterance and the discourse levels in all three areas: the frequency, content and average number of pragmatic features, by both the low and high proficiency EFL learners. Moreover, a comparison of the performance of requests by the two learner groups indicates that the high proficiency learners had a greater amount of pragmatic transfer than the low proficiency learners. The findings of this study lend strong support to the positive correlation hypothesis proposed by T. Takahashi and Beebe (1987). The findings of the present study highlight the importance of the inclusion of pragmatic components in foreign language teaching. Pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed. Possible suggestions regarding how to improve the EFL learners’ pragmatic competence are provided.

The present study investigates pragmatic transfer by Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) at low and high proficiency levels in email requests. Data was elicited using an email production questionnaire consisting of four email situations, which vary along two social dimensions: relative power, either equal or higher, and size of imposition, either big or small. Four groups of participants, who were all university students, took part in the study. Thirty-seven Chinese native speakers of Mandarin and 35 Australian native speakers of English provided the baseline data. Thirty-five Chinese EFL learners at low proficiency level and 38 Chinese EFL learners at high proficiency level provided the target data. Altogether 580 emails were collected. Data was classified according to an adapted version of the coding scheme developed by Blum-Kulka et al. (1989). Email requests were analyzed at both the utterance and discourse levels. At the utterance level, directness level, strategy types and internal modifiers were examined. At the discourse level, external modifiers, including all the supportive moves in the opening, body, and closing of an email request were analyzed. Following Beebe et al. (1990), data was looked at in terms of the frequency, content and average number of pragmatic features. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods were adopted. To determine evidence of pragmatic transfer, first, the Chinese baseline data and the English baseline data were compared. The EFL data was then compared with that of the two baseline groups. Pragmatic transfer was confirmed if the EFL data resembled the Chinese baseline data but differed from the English baseline data. In addition, the instances of pragmatic transfer displayed by the EFL groups at low and high proficiency levels were compared to examine the correlation between pragmatic transfer and language proficiency, that is, whether pragmatic transfer increases or decreases as learners’ language proficiency increases. Pragmatic transfer was investigated on both pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic levels. Findings of the present study show that pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic transfer occurred at the utterance and the discourse levels in all three areas: the frequency, content and average number of pragmatic features, by both the low and high proficiency EFL learners. Moreover, a comparison of the performance of requests by the two learner groups indicates that the high proficiency learners had a greater amount of pragmatic transfer than the low proficiency learners. The findings of this study lend strong support to the positive correlation hypothesis proposed by T. Takahashi and Beebe (1987). The findings of the present study highlight the importance of the inclusion of pragmatic components in foreign language teaching. Pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed. Possible suggestions regarding how to improve the EFL learners’ pragmatic competence are provided.

This diploma thesis compares linguistic and sexist expressions used in adverts and on websites of companies Free Rádio, ÚAMK, Pila Pasák and Rodinný pivovar Bernard. The first part of the thesis provides broad theoretical background focusing on media, media communication, new media, marketing communication, sexism and linguistic aspects of marketing communication. Great deal of attention is paid to pragmatic aspects of advertising language, the communication functions and speech acts in adverts. The work also deals with sexual information in adverts, e.g. types of sexual information used in advertising, its effectiveness, typical sexist expressions but also with legal and ethical frames in advertising. The second part of the thesis are the analyses themselves. The adverts are analysed through a questionnaire that covers pragmatic, semiotic and semantic aspects so that the intersemiotic character of advertising is covered; other issues included are types of sexual information and sexist expressions. The websites are analysed through a questionnaire that challenges the structure of the website, its aim, design, used vehicles of expression, pragmatic aspects of the used language and the presence of sexism. The aim of this thesis is to answer five questions covering such issues as used vehicles of...

[pt] O Método Pragmalingüístico é um instrumento de leitura bíblica cujos fundamentos encontram-se na semiótica, ciência articulada e dividida em três estágios: sintática, semântica e pragmática. A singularidade da pragmalingüística está na análise do texto como estratégia comunicativa do autor, que procura conduzir e provocar os sucessivos leitores para uma ação. A aplicação do Método Pragmalingüístico para a leitura de Os 10,1-8 evidencia que o próprio texto contem em si mesmo, explícita ou implicitamente, os elementos para sua compreensão. Permite detectar elementos relevantes para a reflexão metodológica, sobretudo a relação entre análise sincrônica e diacrônica. Se a interpretação dos textos bíblicos não depende exclusivamente dos conhecimentos que se tem das condições históricas da origem dos mesmos, não significa que estas devem ser ignoradas ou descartadas. A singularidade da pragmalingüística não está na oposição sincrônico e diacrônico. Mesmo admitindo o estudo diacrônico como indispensável para interpretação da Bíblia, a inclusão no método histórico crítico de uma análise sincrônica dos textos constitui uma operação legítima, pois é o texto em seu estado final, e não uma redação anterior, que é expressão da Palavra de Deus. O método pragmalingüístico não seria um método alternativo, mas é uma metodologia que possibilita uma visão totalizante, procurando integrar os resultados já adquiridos, potenciando-os a partir de uma concepção do texto como processo comunicativo. / [en] The Pragmalinguistic Method is an instrument of biblical reading of which fundamentals are found in semiotics, articulated science and divided in three stages: syntactic, semantics and pragmatics. The uniqueness of Pragmalinguistics lies in the text analysis as an author's communicative strategy that seeks to lead and incite to action the consecutive reader. The Pragmalinguistic Method application to the reading of Hos 10,1-8 makes evident that the text itself encloses within, explicitly or implicitly, the necessary elements to achieve its understanding. It makes possible to relevant elements for the methodological reflection, above all the relation between sycchronistic and diachronistic analysis. If the interpretation of biblical texts does not depend exclusively on the knowledge acquired through historical conditions of their origin, it does not mean that these very same should be ignored or dismissed. The uniqueness of Pragmalinguistics does not reside in the opposition synchronistic and diachronistic. Even admitting the diachronistic study as being essential for the interpretation of the Bible, the inclusion into the historic critical method of a synchronistic analysis of the texts establishes a genuine operation, since it regards the text final outcome, not a former draft, the expresses the Word of God. The Pragmalinguistic Method wouldn't be an alternative method, but a methodology which enables an absolute view attempting to integrate the results already acquired, involving them from the basis of a text conception as communicative process.

In dem seit Herbst 2012 vorliegenden Band, der von der Mainzer Italianistin und Franko-Romanistin Barbara Wehr und einem Mitarbeiter (Frédéric Nicolosi) herausgegeben wurde, sind 14 Beiträge versammelt, die zwei hauptsächliche Forschungsinteressen bedienen: Einerseits wird in allen Aufsätzen ganz allgemein erprobt, wie sich die pragmatisch orientierte und die strukturell bestimmte historische Syntaxanalyse gegenseitig befruchten können, um genaue Beschreibungen formaler Eigenschaften mit differenzierten funktionalen Erörterungen zu verbinden; andererseits liegt das Gros der Artikel des Bandes in der Linie der Erforschung eines ganz bestimmten Teilthemas, nämlich von Strukturen, die in den älteren Sprachstufen des Romanischen Topic und Fokus markierten, vor allem Spaltsätze und Verlagerungen von Wortgruppen mit oder ohne pronominale Spur.