Lesson Three

•Context of Situation

Scripts, etc.

• Scripts• Frames • Mental Models

• “the interpretation of discourse is based to a large extent on a simple principle of analogy with what we have experienced in the past. As adults we are liable to possess quite substantial amounts of background experience and knowledge.”

• (Brown and Yule)

Scripts, etc.

• The plane carrying much needed food crashed.

• The pilot was unhurt but captured by…

• (context)

Scripts, etc.

• Mary got some beer out of the car.

• The beer was warm.

• Mary got some picnic things out of the car.

• The beer was warm.

Context of Situation

• FIELD

• TENOR

• MODE

FIELD

• The nature of the social action.

• What is happening.

• Who is doing what to whom, when, where how and why.

TENOR

• Participant roles– Eg. informer, questioner

• Personal relationships– Eg. mother/daughter; teacher/pupil;

doctor/patient

MODE

• How the language is organised.

• Channel – spoken, written, phoned, faxed, …

Five Minute’s Peace

The children were having breakfast. This was not a pleasantsight.Mrs Large took a tray from the cupboard: She set it with ateapot, a milk jug, her favourite cup and saucer, a plate ofmarmalade and toast and a leftover cake from yesterday.Shestuffed the morning paper into her pocket and sneaked offtowards the door.“Where are you going with that tray, Mum? asked Laura. “Tothe bethroom” said Mrs Large. “Why” asked the other twochildren. “Because I want five minute’s peace from you lot”,said Mrs. Large. “That’s why.”

Five Minute’s Peace (cont.)

“Can we come?” asked Lester as they trailed up thestairs behind her. “No” said Mrs. Large, “you can’t”.“What shall we do the”, asked Laura. “You canplay” said Mrs. Large. “Downstairs, by yourselves. And keepan eye on the baby.” “I’m not a baby,” muttered the little one.Mrs. Large ran a deep, hot bath. She emptied half a bottle ofbath-foam into the water, out on her bath-hat and got in. Shepoured herself a cup of tea and lay back with her eyes closed.It was heaven.

Five Minute’s Peace (cont.)

“Can I play my tune?” asked Lester. Mrs. Large opened one eye. “Mustyou?” she asked. “I’ve been practising,” said Lester. “You told me to. CanI? Please, just for one minute.” “Go on then,” sighed Mrs. Large. SoLester played. He played ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ three and a halftimes.In came Laura. “Can I read you a page from my reading book?” sheasked. “No, Laura,” said Mrs. Large. “Go on, all of you, off downsatairs.”“You let Lester play his tune,” said Laura. “I heard. You like him betterthan me. It’s not fair.” “Oh, don’t be silly, Laura, “ said Mrs. Large. “Goon then. Just one page.” So Laura read. She read four and a half pages of ‘LittleRed Riding Hood’.In came the little one with a trunkful of toys. “For you,” he smiled, throwing

themall into the bath water. “Thank you dear,” said Mrs. Large weakly.

Five Minute’s Peace (cont.)

“Can I see the cartoons in the paper?” askedLaura.“Can I have the cake?” asked Lester.“Can I get in with you?” asked the little one.Mrs. Large groaned.In the end they all got in. The little one was insuch a hurry that he forgot to take off his pyjamas.Mrs. Large got out. “Where are you going now, Mum?” askedLaura. “To the kitchen,” said Mrs. Large. “Why?” askedLester. “Because I want five minutes peace from you lot”,said Mrs. Large. “That’s why.”

Five Minutes Peace (end)

• And off she went downstairs, where she had three minutes and forty-five seconds of peace before they all came to join her.

Example: Five Minute’s Peace

• Field: – a picture book story for children about an

elephant family. It describes Mrs. Large trying to get ‘five minute’s peace’ but is really about normal, happy family life;

– lexical items familiar to children;– short clauses and simple (repeated) structures;– cohesion with pictures

Example: Five Minute’s Peace

• Tenor:– standard English, conversational;– gently humourous portrayal of family life, with

obvious author empathy;– author- reader: on a par with parents and

children;– author-characters: understanding– mother-children: kindly indulgent

Example: Five Minute’s Peace

• Mode:– written to be read aloud as if not written;– frequent ellipsis, etc. to emulate spontaneous

conversation;– italics proved phonological feature:– direct speech

Functions of Language

• Ideational function

• Interpersonal function

• Textual function

Ideational function

• Language functions to encode and transmit information between members of society.

• It uses transitivity structures:

• John plays football. (material process)

• He thinks he is very good (mental process)

• He is good (relational process)

Interpersonal function

• Language functions to establish and maintain relations between members of society.

• We use the declarative, interrogative and imperative modes, and appraisal lexis

• Bill: Hey, you kicked me!• John: I’m sorry, really, but it was your fault.• Bill: What do you mean, it was my fault???!!!

Textual Function

• Language functions to organise messages.

• Theme/rheme Given/New

• Bill: John saw Bill briefly yesterday He said hello

Yesterday John saw Bill briefly

It was then that he said hello.

Register

• Affect

• Status

• Contact

Register 2

Happy Birthdayto an

OLD friend!

Register 3

To Mr. Reginald Smith

The management wish to extend their sincere good wishes on the occasion of your birthday.

Register 4

Oh, it’s your birthday, is it? Well, many happy returns, mate.

Register 5

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Here are my birthday wishes

to you.

Happy birthday, darling.

xxxxxxxx

Register 6

• And funeral condolences…?

REFERENCE

referent – reference – referring expression

Anyone who has breakfasted around Europe

will know that ‘bread’ has more than one

referent.

Context!

(across languages words do not match easily)

Cf. habit = a, b, c, ….

niente = a, b, c, ….

Humpty Dumpty

• When I use a word, it means what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.

Connotation/denotation

“He ate my bacon sandwich!”

– connotation/denotation

“Mi ha mangiato il panino!”

‘Semantic prosody’ integrates term with a co-text.

Connotation/denotation

• Real names

• Speedy Gonzales

• Mr. Plod

• Alice in Wonderland/The Mock Turtle