This class introduces students to linguistic pragmatics, exploring how we communicate meaning beyond the words we say. Topics include deixis and distance, reference and inference, presupposition and entailment, cooperation and implicature, speech acts and events, politeness and interaction, conversational structure, and the influence of discourse and culture. The class is structured into an introduction and eight interactive lessons, each focusing on a key concept with Socratic discussion to reinforce learning. Lessons include short lectures, dynamic slides, and real-life examples. Students will participate in discussions, games, and group exercises to apply concepts and deepen their understanding. My teaching style is student-focused, blending clear explanations with active engagement to make complex topics accessible and fun. Learners will have multiple opportunities to interact with me and their peers during live discussions, guided activities, and Q&A sessions, ensuring they feel supported while exploring this subfield of linguistics known as pragmatics.
Understand the foundational concepts of pragmatics, including its distinctions from syntax and semantics
Analyze how context, deixis, and inference shape the meaning of language in real-world communication
We’ll lay the foundation for understanding pragmatics by exploring how it differs from syntax and semantics. We’ll discuss patterns of behavior in communication and what has traditionally been studied as part of pragmatics, giving you the tools to understand how meaning is shaped by context, intention, and interaction.
We’ll explore how words like "here," "there," "you," and "yesterday" depend on context to make sense. Through person, spatial, and temporal deixis, you’ll learn how language anchors meaning to people, places, and time. This lesson reveals how communication relies on shared perspectives to connect what we say with the world around us.
We’ll uncover how we use language to point to things in the world and how listeners infer meaning beyond the words. Topics include referential and attributive uses, the connection between names and referents, the importance of surrounding text (co-text), and how anaphoric reference helps link ideas across sentences.
We will explore how language carries hidden assumptions and logical connections. You’ll learn about different types of presuppositions, how they behave in various contexts (the projection problem), and how entailments follow an ordered structure.
PhD in Linguistics, BA in Secondary Education, Teaching on Outschool since 2020
26 total ratings, 21 with reviews
Very interesting content of a unique subject that is hard to find places...
This is an excellent class for teens who want an introduction to...