Course description
The ability to understand the way communication works is an essential skill for those operating in the tourism sector. The course provides an overview of the major theories in pragmatics, including speech act theory, conversational implicature, relevance theory, politeness, conversation analysis, social cognition and social action. Special attention is given to the cultural dimension of communication, since differing cultural systems means different norms governing the production and comprehension of language, hence crucial for successful communication in the field of tourism. The workings of the theories will be illustrated by applying them to the analysis of brief texts.
Inductive. Students must participate actively in lessons (held in English) by commenting on examples and texts, from which the theory is induced.
Yule G., 1996. Pragmatics. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Material in Aulaweb.
JOHN DOUTHWAITE (President)
ELGA NICOLINI
Sem: 1o
19 september 2016 - 15 december 2016
ENGLISH LANGUAGE (1ST YEAR)
The student must first pass the exam of the practical module. Only then can he take the exam of the theoretical module. The latter exam consists in analysing a short text from a pragmatic standpoint and explaining those theories.
Attendance
Students are encouraged to attend regularly, since the two main factors in successful language learning are motivation and exposure to the language. Practice is essential.
