Course: Pragmatics

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Course title Pragmatics
Course code KBH/CFPRG
Organizational form of instruction Seminar
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 3
Language of instruction English
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Svobodová Jindřiška, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
1. Speech acts and illocutionary force, speech act theory: Examination of statements as actions (locution, illocution, perlocution). Classification of speech acts, correct understanding of meaning that is not expressed literally. 2. Deixe (pointing) and context: Personal, spatial and temporal deixe, use of pronouns, adverbs and determination of time depending on the speaker's situation. Social deixe, choice of tykání and ýkání, use of titles and polite forms in the Czech environment. 3. Theory of conversational implicatures, Grice's conversational maxims: Principles of cooperation in conversation (quality, quantity, manner, relevance). Communication failure, implicatures and irony. 4. Politeness and face in intercultural communication: Theory of politeness, positive and negative face of the speaker. Mitigation strategies, use of conditionals, particles (after all, actually) and diminutives for polite communication in Czech. Specifics of Czech politeness, comparison with the student's native language, cultural specifics (e.g. coping with the Czech environment). 5. Analysis of spoken and written discourse, discursive minutiae: Conjunctions, particles and introductory phrases that structure text and speech. Pragmatic differences between everyday conversation, administrative text, academic presentation and writing e-mail.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook)
Learning outcomes
Communication is monitored and analyzed as one of the forms of social action, students are encouraged to evaluate all components of the communication situation and adapt them to the speech process, choose the appropriate strategy and choose adequate means of expression. Students work with authentic material (written texts and recordings of certain situations, political debate, media dialogue), they are able to detect communication fouls, find violations of communication and courtesy standards, or attempt to manipulate. Other topics discussed are spoken acts, verbal aggression, politeness, its means and ways of facial expression, etc.
Communication is monitored and analyzed as one of the forms of social action, students are encouraged to evaluate all components of the communication situation and adapt them to the speech process, choose the appropriate strategy and choose adequate means of expression. Students work with authentic material (written texts and recordings of certain situations, political debate, media dialogue), they are able to detect communication fouls, find violations of communication and courtesy standards, or attempt to manipulate. Other topics discussed are spoken acts, verbal aggression, politeness, its means and ways of facial expression, etc.
Prerequisites
The course is intended for students who have mastered communication in English at level A2.

Assessment methods and criteria
Student performance, Written exam

Students understand the texts of various communication situations, understand and interpret non-verbal communication.
Recommended literature
  • Brown, Penelope, Levinson, Stephen. Politeness. Cambridge. 1987.
  • Hrdlička, Milan. Kapitol y o češtině jako cizím jazyce. Praha. 2019.
  • Leech, G. (1983). Principles of Pragmatics. London.
  • Levinson, S. (1983). Pragmatics. London.
  • Yule, George. Pragmatics. Oxford. 1996.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Czech for Foreigners (2019) Category: Philological sciences 2 Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Czech for Foreigners (2024) Category: Philological sciences 2 Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: -