Pragmatics

Examines how utterances function as actions and the different types of speech acts such as assertions, questions, and commands.

Focuses on words and phrases, such as 'here', 'there', or 'you', that require contextual information to be understood.

Studies how listeners read between the lines to find meanings not explicitly expressed by speakers, relying on shared assumptions.

Analyzes the structure and function of written or spoken discourse and how larger contexts affect linguistic exchanges.

Explores how humans infer speakers' intentions by seeking the most relevant interpretation of an utterance.

Investigates strategies speakers use to address face needs and manage social distance and power relations among interlocutors.

Looks at the background beliefs or assumptions implied by an utterance that a speaker assumes the listener already accepts.

Centers on the 'Cooperative Principle' and the conversational rules speakers ordinarily follow to produce effective communication.

Refers to the real intent behind an utterance and how it is used to carry out an action, such as requesting, offering, or promising.

Studies expressions that do not just describe a situation but rather perform an action simply by virtue of being uttered.

Examines how listeners use surrounding physical and linguistic context to understand an utterance's meaning.

Focuses on features of language that point to social identities, roles, and power dynamics within a given context.

Analyzes how the interpretation of a text depends on the knowledge of other texts and the interplay between them.

Investigates languages within specific activities or 'games' defining different rules and norms of language use.

Studies groups of people who share norms about communicative behavior and language use.

Explores the set of skills required for an individual to convey and interpret messages effectively within a language community.