from Discourse to Social context material

1. From Discourse to
Social Contexts
Rolisda Yosintha & Atsani Wulansari

2. Let’s compare!
Close friends – Informal and Unstructured
Discourse
Business Colleagues – Formal and Structured
Discourse

3. Here’s the correlation!
Social contexts such as interpersonal relationships,
settings, respective power, social status, etc. affect the
discourse we choose in spoken and written
communication.
The items we use to mark speakers’ personal meaning, their
organizational choices, attitudes, and feelings are called
pragmatic markers.

4. Pragmatics
Pragmatics is the study of how context affects meaning, such
as how sentences are interpreted in certain situations (or the
interpretation of linguistic meaning in context).
Context Meaning Pragmatics

5. Example
‘Can you pass the salt?’ ‘What time do you call this?’
Literal Meaning Are you physically able to do
this task?
What time is it?
Literal
Response
Yes Ten to five (4.50)
Pragmatic
Meaning
Will you pass me the salt? Why are you so late?
Pragmatic
Response
Pass the salt to the speaker Explain the reason for being so
late

6. Pragmatic
Markers
Discourse Markers
Stance Markers
Hedges
Interjections

7. Group Work (Breakout room-discussion)
1. Discourse marker
2. Stance marker
3. Hedges
4. Interjections
5. Swearing and taboo expression
6. Greeting and farewells
7. Vocative
8. Standard and Standard spoken English

8. Discourse Markers
Words or phrases that indicate the speakers’ intentions with regard
to organizing, structuring, and monitoring the discourse.

9. Discourse Markers in Spoken Language
Examples:
We use them to connect, organize, and manage what we say
or write or to express attitude
anyway like right you know
fine now so I mean
good oh well as I say
great okay mind you for a start

10. Functions of Discourse Markers
• As I was Saying… (to bring the conversation back to a former
point)
• Anyway… (to move on to another point or to close a conversation)
• Here’s the thing/The thing is… (to raise an important issue)
• I’m glad you brought that up because… (to add onto a point just
raised)
• At the end of the day... (to conclude an argument)

11. Analysis
Right: Mark the boundaries
between stages of the
discourse
Well: mark a topic shift
Great & Good: Mark
conclusion of the transaction
and both parties’ mutual
satisfaction
There you go: Mark the
completion of the handling
over of goods and receipt

12. Discourse
Markers:
Organizing the
Discourse
1. Openings
2. Closings

13. Openings
[at the start of a radio interview]
Now, we have with us in the studio today someone you will all
know from television. John Rice, welcome to the show.
now so alright
right good well
okay anyway fine

14. Closings
Right, okay, take care of yourself. Bye.
right alright so
anyway okay well
fine great good
okay than lovely

15. Sequencing

16. Sequencing
We also use discourse markers to order or sequence what we say.
and and then finally
first (of all) firstly for a start
going back to in general in the end
lastly next second
so there again to sum up
what’s more on top of that in the first place

17. Sequencing (continued …)
Example:
Firstly, we are going to look at how to write an
essay. Secondly, we are going to look at what makes a
good essay and what makes a bad one. Lastly, we’re
going to do some writing activities.

18. Monitoring the
Discourse
As we talk, we monitor (or listen to) what we are saying and how our listener is responding
to what they hear. We often rephrase or change what we say depending on how our listener
is responding.
1. Reformulations
2. Monitoring Shared Knowledge

19. Reformulations
Adding phrases to show our listener that we are going to rephrase, repeat, or
change what we are saying.
• I just had to leave early. What I mean is I hated the show. It just wasn’t funny.
• I think I’ve found a house I’d like to buy. Well it’s an apartment, actually. It’s
ideal for me.
as I was saying in other words I mean
not to say strictly speaking to put it another way
that’s to say what I mean is actually

20. Monitoring Shared Knowledge
Marking what we think is old, shared or expected knowledge
with you know and we mark new knowledge that we see as not
shared with the listener with phrases like see, you see, the thing is.
• You know, renting a car was a great idea. (The speaker and the
listener know about renting the car.)

21. Discourse Marking
in Responses

22. What is a response token?
• Our response to what we hear either by gesture (head nod)
or by a short response (Mm, yeah, really, that’s a shame).
• We use response tokens for a number of functions: To show
interest, surprise, sympathy, or agreement.
A: I think we should go to the garden center first.
B: Right, that’s fine by me.
(showing an agreement)

23. Stance Markers
Indicate the speakers’ stance or attitude in relation to the message.

24. Stance Markers
• Sadly, Hilda has decided not to come with us.
• We will obviously have to pay for the damage
done to the window.
actually frankly I think (I’m) sorry
admittedly Hopefully literally surprisingly
amazingly Honestly naturally thankfully
basically Ideally no doubt to be honest
certainly if you ask me obviously to tell you the truth
clearly I’m afraid of course understandably
confidentially I must admit predictably undoubtedly
definitely I must say really unfortunately
essentially in fact sadly
fortunately indeed seriously

25. Hedges
Enable speakers to be less direct and forceful in formulating their message.

26. Hedges
There’s a new restaurant in town.
We should try it next weekend.
There’s a new restaurant in town.
We should probably try it next
weekend.
The statement is not hedged, and it
sounds more direct and forceful.
The statement is hedged or
softened so as not to sound too
strong or forceful.
apparently kind of perhaps roughly
arguably like presumably sort of/ kind of*
I think maybe probably surely
just

27. Interjections
Indicate affective responses and reactions to the discourse.

28. What is an interjection?
A single-word exclamation such as hooray, oops,
ouch which shows a positive or negative
emotional response.
• Ouch, that hurt. (expresses a reaction to pain)
• Ugh, I can’t eat any more of this. (expresses a
negative reaction to unpleasant situation)

29. Swearing and Taboo

30. What are they?
• Swear words and taboo words can intensify what is said, but they can shock or
give offence.
• The use of taboo expressions suggests that speakers have, or wish to have, a
close personal relationship with others.
• We also use taboo expressions and swear words when we express strong
feelings, or when we wish to threaten or to be unpleasant to others.
• Most swearing and most uses of taboo expressions in English refer to religion or
to parts of the body and bodily processes, especially those associated with
sexual activity or with using the toilet.
• In English, swearing which involves ‘religious’ taboo expressions is likely to be
weaker than swearing that involves ‘parts of the body’ taboo expressions.

31. What are they? (Continued)
• When we swear, we commonly use interjections.
• These can be single words or short phrases or clauses.
• We most commonly use them to express strong feelings,
especially feelings of anger.
• A very strong expression has five stars (*****) and a less
strong expression has one star (*).

32. Taboo expressions involving religion
• Damn*! She’s borrowed my camera without telling me.
• Oh bloody hell**! Just leave me alone, will you.
• Christ***! Why didn’t you tell us how much the new brakes
were going to cost!!

33. Taboo expressions involving parts of the body
• Shit****! I’ve forgotten to phone Geoff.
• Oh fuck it*****! I can’t find my phone.

34. Wh-exclamatives with taboo words
• Why the hell* is he driving so fast!
• What the fuck***** has she done to my laptop!

35. Taboo intensifiers
Taboo expressions are very common as intensifying adverbs or
adjectives.
• Where’s the bloody** key?
• He’s fucking***** dangerous. He needs to get proper skis.

36. Greeting and Farewells

37. Farewells

38. Vocative
- to address someone
- the addressee’s name (Jane, Mr Lambert) or a term of kinship (mum,
grandad) or endearment (darling, love)
- Name and titles i.e. Laura, Mr. Roberts
- Abbreviating first name i.e. Anthony (Tony), Jennifer (Jenny)
- Using full, unabbreviated first names is more formal than using
abbreviated forms.
- Using full family names and family names with titles is more formal still,

39. Function of vocative
• Summon
• Turn management
• Ritual and sociable contexts
• Softening and lessening threats to dignity
• Topic management
• Joking