In one sense, Pragmatics is concerned with how we use the language, why and how the speakers communicate in social interactions. The interpretation of meaning in context is probably the main field of study of this multidiscipline, considering the speaker-meaning as the central point of departure. The term Pragmatics refers to a broad perspective on different aspects of communication, including linguistics, but also cognitive psychology, cultural anthropology, philosophy, sociology and rhetoric among others. Through this course we will study chronologically and apply in specific cases of study of the Spanish language the most meaningful pragmatic theories, such as: Context, Deixis, Speech acts, Implicature, Cooperative Principle, Politeness, Relevance, Pragmatic markers, Metaphors and Cross-cultural pragmatics. Pragmatics, as we know, is a most helpful criterion in the interpretation of many different types of texts. As a course within our Department’s curriculum this instrument of rhetoric analysis is a basic tool in the comprehension of our students’ discourse in their literary, cultural, and critical papers. This discipline goes beyond the analysis of strictly forms or verbal utterances, hence its multidisciplinary applicability to a wide range of fields of studies in Spanish. Whichever the student’s field of study might be, Pragmatics provides a valuable and accurate vocabulary that can be applied to any textual interpretation. In this course, the pragmatic perspective is a starting point to delve into the processes of communication in Spanish. After this first approach, the student will gain an insight into new aspects of the linguistics of language use in general and the use of Spanish in particular.
- Subject
- SPAN G
- Credits (min)
- 4
- Credits (max)
- 4
- Credit unit
- points
- Type
- course
- Edition
- 2026
- Source
- bulletin.columbia.edu