This graduate thesis is concerned with a comparative analysis of attenuators and intensifiers in Czech and Spanish language. The research has been conducted on Czech and Spanish journalist texts from major newspaper and magazines. The theoretical analysis starts by classifying expressions that are used to intensify or attenuate. The author follows the traditional Spanish classification which has been extended with expressions that she finds important. All expressions are examined from both the grammatical and expressive perspective. The analysis then continues by introducing the types of journalists texts used in the research. The research is based on comparison of attenuators and intensifiers in both languages and their influence on the reader.

The drama of Senkatana by S.M. Mofokeng is analysed by applying principles provided by speech act theory, using as basis the explication of the theory by Bach and Harnish (1979). The socio-cultural context in the play has as its starting point the realm of myth and legend. From here all categories of relationships within the protagonist/antagonist encounter unfold, as do opposing sets of contextual beliefs characters rely on; these are primarily responsible for the growing conflict in the drama. Enhancing the mythical character of the play is the absorbing role played by the diboni, acting as seers, as prophets and as additional 'authorial voice'. Their and those of other characters' speech acts reflect this and more; they operate in a substantiated sign-system which provides a framework for evaluating each semiotic act from locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary dimensions of meaning. Chapter 1 comprises a historical survey of studies on speech act theory, and includes a brief summary of the position of the theory in the field of semiotics. The micro speech act analysis of the play is facilitated by the division of the text into smaller action units (summarised in Addendum 1). Chapter 2, containing the greater part of the exposition, commences the narration of the folktale and offers a clear rendering of the epic rise of the hero. Chapter 3 portrays the rise and progress of the antagonists challenging the hero, coupled with intensifying anxiety among the protagonists. Chapter 4 provides a vivid overview of how the values of the hero triumph over those of the antagonist despite the physical slaying of the hero. Chapter 5 offers a graphic outline of how the macro speech act is accomplished in the play. It is shown how an investigation of the speech act profiles of characters, coupled with the evaluation of illocutionary tactics and illocutionary/perlocutionary dynamics, communicates significant information pertaining to characterisation. A graph illustrating the rise and fall of micro speech acts within the larger macro speech act is provided in Addendum 2. Suggestions are made regarding future research in literary texts. / African Languages / D.Lit. et Phil. (African Languages)

[pt] A tese tem como tema a ênfase dada por Lacan à linguagem na experiência psicanalítica, em diferentes momentos de seu ensino. A partir da oposição entre modelos de linguagem que reduzem seu objeto às leis internas ao sistema da língua, e modelos que abarcam a posição dos falantes e o contexto discursivo, buscamos verificar qual concepção de linguagem Lacan usa quando teoriza sobre a linguagem na experiência analítica. A fim de demarcar a especificidade do campo psicanalítico, cotejamos a noção de linguagem em Lacan com o modelo estruturalista e com a filosofia pragmática da linguagem. / [en] This thesis has as its theme the emphasis given by Lacan to the language in the psychoanalytic experience, during different moments of his teaching. From the opposition between language models that reduce their object to the internal laws of the language system and models that embrace the position of the speakers and the discursive context, we seek to determine which is the conception of language Lacan uses when theorizing on language in the psychoanalytic experience. In order to demarcate the specificity of the psychoanalytic field, we compare the notion of language in Lacan with the structuralist model and the pragmatic philosophy of language.

This research presents a study of the intention that exists in the speech acts. The context is placed as a determinant element as far as such acts are concerned, which are units of language in use. Special attention is given to the Austinian approach for its relevance to the studies of language. The previously mentioned approach provides important contributions to the performative and pragmatic understanding of language usage. Through the speech acts theory, Austin called the attention to a new conception, where language is accepted as action, starting to be seen as nontransparent, but open to different interpretations. This conception of language is supported by the performative and pragmatic approach by Austin, Searle and Grice, beginning a new phase in the linguistic studies, a new paradigm in the language study, not only for contemporary philosophy but also for linguistics. The present work shows a different approach from the philosophers aforementioned, comparing them, in order to demonstrate that there are significant differences in relation to the way they understand the intention in the speech acts. The different understandings of these researchers are also presented as well as their definitions of locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary acts. Finally, the Austinian contributions to the study of language are also emphasized in the present study. / Este trabalho apresenta um estudo da intenção que está presente nos atos de fala. O contexto se coloca como um determinante no que diz respeito a esses atos, os quais são unidades de linguagem em uso. Destacamos a concepção austiniana, que apresenta importantes contribuições com relação à visão performativa e pragmática do uso da língua. Com a teoria dos atos de fala, Austin evidenciou uma nova concepção, em que a linguagem é concebida enquanto ação, passando a ser vista como não transparente, mas aberta a diferentes interpretações. Essa concepção de linguagem consolida-se com a abordagem performativa e pragmática de Austin, Searle e Grice, originando uma nova etapa nos estudos linguísticos e constituindo um novo paradigma de estudo da linguagem, tanto para a filosofia contemporânea quanto para a linguística. O presente trabalho faz uma abordagem dos filósofos citados, comparando-os entre si, com a finalidade de mostrar que existem diferenças significativas em relação à forma como entendem a intenção nos atos de fala. Também destacamos os entendimentos desses estudiosos, bem como a sua definição em relação aos atos locucionários, ilocucionários e os perlocucionários. Por fim, enfatizamos as contribuições que Austin nos deixou para o estudo da linguagem.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:42:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 424461 bytes, checksum: 9feddfc13a59d913e7778232e859e680 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research considers the investigation of the argumentative strategies used by a nurse to persuade the patient and it s a study of qualitative nature with a descriptive approach, aiming to investigate the semantic-discursive function(s) of the direct and indirect speech acts used by the nurse to persuade the patient to follow the recommended behaviors. To reach this objective, the research had the following stages: description of the direct and indirect acts, according to the Speech Acts Theory, used by the nurse to persuade the patient; survey of the recurrent speech acts and inquiry of the argumentative function(s) of the identified acts. The research was based on the Speech Acts Theory of Austin and Searle, that studies the accomplishment of the speech acts as a way to describe what is explicitly said or not said in the linguistic interaction between nurse-patient, identifying which acts predominate (direct or indirect); and, later, in Perelman s Argument Theory, analyzing as these speech acts are used to persuade the patient, with emphasis in the analysis of the relation between nurse and patient, and of how one convinces the other to do the recommended behaviors. The corpus was composed of nursing consultations, recorded in Units of Family Health in the town of Olinda, and it was exclusively analyzed the speech act of the nurse. In the analysis of the corpus one perceives that, during the consultations, three strong moments in the interaction exist. At the beginning of the nursing consultation, there the nurse investigates the patient s health condition to be able to define the clinical picture, the diagnosis, and later the orientation of the behavior to be adopted to solve the detected health problems. These acts are defined as macro-acts of INVESTIGATING, DIAGNOSING, and GUIDING witch are direct speech acts. It was concluded that the direct macro-act of GUIDING is predominant in the nursing consultation, permeating all of the nurse s talks in the interaction with the patient, and it constitutes one of the main attributes of the nursing profession, and the main purpose of the nursing consultation. Also, it was perceived that these acts occur according to the interlocutor, that is, the nurse adjusts the speech according to the particular audience: the patient, trying to adapt it to his/her values, consistent with the context where it was inserted. Therefore, in the analysis of the corpus, it is noted that the nurse uses sentences in the form of direct speech acts to, through argumentation, reach the goal to direct speech acts and persuade the patient, provoking changes of habits and behaviors. / Esta pesquisa investiga as estratégias argumentativas utilizadas pelo enfermeiro para a persuasão do paciente e se constitui de um estudo de natureza qualitativa de abordagem descritiva com o objetivo de investigar a(s) função(ões) semântico-discursiva(s) dos atos de fala diretos e indiretos utilizados pelo enfermeiro para persuadir o paciente a seguir as condutas recomendadas. Para atingir este objetivo, a pesquisa teve as seguintes etapas: descrição dos atos diretos e indiretos, à luz da Teoria dos Atos da Fala, utilizados pelo enfermeiro para persuadir o paciente; levantamento dos atos de fala recorrentes e investigação da(s) função(ões) argumentativa(s) dos atos identificados. A pesquisa foi embasada na Teoria dos Atos da Fala de Austin e Searle, que se preocupa com a realização dos atos de fala, subsídio para descrever o que é explicitamente dito, ou não dito, na interação linguística entre enfermeiro-paciente, identificando quais os atos que predominam (diretos ou indiretos); e, posteriormente, na Teoria da Argumentação de Perelman, analisando como esses atos da fala são utilizados para persuadir o paciente, com ênfase na análise da relação entre enfermeiro e paciente, e de como aquele convence este para a adesão às condutas recomendadas. O corpus foi composto por consultas de enfermagem, gravadas em Unidades de Saúde da Família do município de Olinda, e foi analisado exclusivamente o ato de fala do enfermeiro.Na analise do corpus, percebeu-se que, durante a consulta, existem três momentos fortes na interação. No início da consulta de enfermagem, em que a enfermeira procura investigar a condição de saúde do paciente para poder definir o quadro clínico, o diagnóstico e, posteriormente, a orientação da conduta a ser a adotada para resolver os problemas de saúde detectados. Esses atos foram definidos como macro-atos de INVESTIGAR, DIAGNOSTICAR e ORIENTAR e são atos diretos de fala. Concluiu-se que o macro-ato direto de ORIENTAR é predominante na consulta de enfermagem, permeando toda a fala do enfermeiro na sua interação com o paciente e que constitui numa das principais atribuições da profissão do enfermeiro e objetivo principal da consulta de enfermagem. Também percebeu-se que esses atos ocorrem em função do interlocutor, ou seja, o locutor adapta seu discurso em função do seu auditório particular: o paciente, procurando adaptar-se aos seus valores, com base no contexto em que ele está inserido. Portanto, na análise do corpus, percebeu-se que o enfermeiro utiliza enunciados na forma de atos de fala diretos para atingir argumentativamente o objetivo de orientar o paciente e conseguir sua persuasão, provocando mudanças de hábitos e comportamentos.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:06:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LeoSF.pdf: 504692 bytes, checksum: e9ed8970e5326f3dc76a1e7d96ff479e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-26 / This paper aims, starting with the studies of languages in contact and communicative competence, to locate and describe the interlanguage, a linguistic phenomenon observed in the interaction between beach sellers and foreign tourists. We seek to discover whether those interacting use some kind of pidgin, or some code as a lingua franca. We also seek to identify the manner in which the features of communicative competence are presented by analyzing the various competences that composes it - linguistic, sociolinguistic, pragmatic and psycholinguistic. The analysis of speech acts, the maxims and conversational implicatures given in the corpus were important to verify whether those interacting were successful in their attempt at multilingual intercomprehension. / Este trabalho tem por objetivo, a partir dos estudos de l?nguas em contato e de compet?ncia comunicativa, situar e descrever a interlinguagem, fen?meno lingu?stico observado na intera??o entre vendedores de praia e turistas estrangeiros. Buscamos responder se os interactantes usam alguma esp?cie de p?dgin, ou seja, algum c?digo como l?ngua franca. Procuramos tamb?m identificar o modo como a compet?ncia comunicativa se apresenta atrav?s da an?lise das diversas compet?ncias que a comp?e - lingu?stica, sociolingu?stica, pragm?tica e psicolingu?stica. A an?lise dos atos de fala, das m?ximas e das implicaturas conversacionais apresentadas no corpus foram importantes para verificar se os interactantes foram felizes em sua tentativa de intercompreens?o multil?ngue

This dissertation investigates the comprehension of indirect requests (IRs). Focusing on English and French, it proposes that IRs such as Can you + verbal phrase (for short, Can you VP?) achieve an optimal communicative efficiency because, while they entail extra processing costs, they match the expected level of politeness in many contexts. The approach taken combines Talmy’s force dynamic semantics with a traditional perspective in philosophy of language drawing on speech act theory. First, I sketch a theoretically viable and empirically plausible definition of directive speech acts, and provide a naturalistic explanation of why directives result in obligations for addressees. According to this definition, a directive speech act consists in a force exerted by a speaker towards an addressee’s performance of some action, with a prima facie obligation created for the addressee as a result. Consistently with this definition, I propose that imperative sentences are a convenient means to perform directives insofar as they encode a force dynamic pattern that is compatible with, but distinct from, the force exertion pattern that characterizes directives. I develop a similar analysis for You should/must VP declarative sentences. By contrast, I argue that, if interrogative sentences can be used in the performance of directives such as questioning, they do so by virtue of their incompleteness.To satisfactorily account for the variety of utterances that can be used as directives, I propose a typology based on the formal criterion of (in)directness and on the processing criterion of primariness/secondariness. Three factors are furthermore predicted to influence the processing of IRs: conventionality of means, degree of standardization, and degree of illocutionary force salience. This typology underpins an exhaustive review of experimental work on the comprehension of directives, in which I conclude that further investigation into the processing of IRs is necessary. In particular, the influence of these three factors on the processing, and, in particular, on the primariness/secondariness of IRs is left unexplored.In three eye-tracking experiments with native speakers of French, I put to the test four hypotheses. First, I hypothesize that the more an expression is standardized for the performance of IRs, the more likely it will be understood as an IR, and the more likely the IR will be primary rather than secondary. Second, because expressions such as Can you VP? used as IRs also have a direct interpretation, they should entail extra processing costs relative to their imperative and interrogative direct counterparts. Third, assuming they are direct, You must VP requests should be understood like imperatives requests, and they should not activate the assertive force. Fourth, the high degree of directive illocutionary force salience contributed by the adverb please should increase the likelihood of an IR interpretation and the likelihood that the IR will be primary. In Experiment 1, I show that IR interpretations tend to be more frequent for highly standardized IRs relative to their less standardized counterparts. I also demonstrate that interpreting the highly standardized Can you VP? and the less standardized Is it possible to VP? as IRs does not activate their “ability question” illocutionary meaning. The same finding holds, in Experiment 2, for the declaratives You can VP and It is possible to VP. The data of Experiment 2 indicate that, like imperative sentences, You must VP does not activate the assertive illocutionary force. Another finding of Experiment 1 is that Can you VP? and Is it possible to VP? can be understood as primary IRs, but these expressions nonetheless impose extra processing costs when they are interpreted as direct questions. In Experiment 3, I find that the high degree of directive force salience contributed by please increases the likelihood of an IR interpretation regardless of the degree of standardization of the expression. However, the presence of please has no significant influence on the processing of IRs.Turning to the production of directives, I address the issue of why speakers use IRs despite the extra processing costs entailed by these expressions. In a production task experiment where addressee status is manipulated, I test the hypothesis that Can you VP? IRs are used to trigger extra politeness effects absent in imperatives. A second hypothesis is that speakers should avoid imperatives and obligation declaratives such as You should/must VP because these request forms are directly compatible with force exertion at the pragmatic level. Rather, they should prefer indirect request forms such as ability interrogatives. Third, Can you VP? it should be more frequent than Is it possible to VP? in the data. A first important finding is that higher addressee status does not increase the frequency of Can you VP? interrogatives relative to other request forms. Instead of using Can you VP? more often when they address higher status people, speakers use specific politeness markers, which disconfirms the hypothesis that Can you VP? is used to convey extra politeness effects. The second hypothesis is confirmed, insofar as the data collected with this production task contain a vast majority of ability interrogatives, and imperatives and obligation declaratives are absent. Third, in line with the standardization hypothesis, Can you VP? occur much more often in the data than Is it possible to VP?. / Doctorat en Langues, lettres et traductologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

No description available.

La présente recherche se propose, en dépassant la vieille querelle des tenants de la théorie « classique » des actes de langage (J. R. Searle et D. Vanderveken) et des analystes des interactions (« École de Genève » principalement), à la fois d’étudier le fonctionnement des actes de langage en interaction et de montrer qu’il est possible d’articuler ces deux positions en apparence divergentes. En fait, nous proposons un concept d’acte de langage qui reste dans l’esprit de la théorie searlienne, mais en ajoutant une perspective contextualiste (selon le modèle proposé par A. Trognon et Ch. Brassac) susceptible de rendre compte du fonctionnement de l’acte dans la dynamique discursive. Le but principal de cette démarche est ainsi d’apporter des données nouvelles à la description de ces unités. Un second but s’ajoute au premier : traiter ces unités dans une dimension comparative entre deux langues – le français et le roumain –, telles qu’elles sont utilisées par des locuteurs natifs. Le corpus est constitué d’interactions de classe enregistrées dans les deux systèmes d’enseignement mentionnés, et ensuite transcrites. L’analyse du fonctionnement et des réalisateurs des actes de langage dans un genre d’interaction verbale, permet de soutenir la nécessité d’une analyse contextualisée des actes de langage et, en outre, d’identifier des types d’actes de langage, des réalisations linguistiques de ces actes, des schémas interactionnels spécifiques d’un genre particulier de discours. La récurrence de ces types d’actes, réalisations préférentielles, schémas interactionnels, explique également la ritualisation de certaines séquences de l’activité didactique et, en particulier, de la séquence d’ouverture - l’incipit, sur lequel se focalise l’analyse dans cette thèse. Par ailleurs, l’approche contrastive met en évidence des différences quantitatives ainsi que des réalisations préférentielles manifestant des différences institutionnelles, attitudinales, idéologiques. / The main aim of the present research is, surpassing the old quarrel between the supporters of the classical theory of speech acts (J. R. Searle and D. Vanderveken) and those of the analysts of interaction/discourse (mainly « The Geneva School»)), both to study the functioning of speech acts in interaction and to show that these two, apparently divergent positions, may function together. Actually, we propose a concept of speech act in the line of Searle’s theory, adding, however, a contextualist perspective (according to the model proposed by A. Trognon and Ch. Brassac), which is likely to account for the functioning of the act in the discursive dynamics. The main aim of this endeavour is to provide new data for the description of these units. The second aim of this thesis is to treat these units comparatively, in two languages –French and Romanian-, such as they are used by native speakers. The corpus consists of class interactions, which were recorded in the two above-mentioned education systems and then, transcribed. The analysis of the functioning and of the patterns of realisation of speech acts in a specific type of verbal interaction has the advantage of supporting the necessity of a contextualized analysis of speech acts and, on the other hand, to identify types of speech acts, linguistic realisations of these acts, interactional schemas, which are specific to a particular discourse genre. The recurrence of these types of acts, of their preferential realizations and of the interactional schemas also explains the ritualization of several sequences of the didactic activity and, particularly, of the opening sequence- the incipit, which is the focus of the analysis of this thesis. Also, the contrastive approach emphasizes quantitative differences, as well as preferential realisations which indicate institutional, attitudinal and ideological differences.

The thesis aspires to convey a comprehensive and methodologically well-grounded image of the ideological dimension of political interaction between the EU and Russia. The research is based on the linguistic analysis of four key foreign policy documents, conceived as a continuous dialogue between the EU and Russia, and covering the period between 1994 and 2007. A model comprising several methods used in the study of international relations is applied to the aforementioned documents. The methods in question focus on discourse analysis. The methodological basis of the thesis incorporates the theoretical concepts of social constructivism, speech acts theory and dialogic analysis. Emphasis is placed on understanding the expectations and objectives of actors, the analysis of explicit and implicit messages in the dialogue, the definition of the actors' understanding of self, other and the third party. The thesis also tries to describe and explain the actors' changes in behavior towards each other.