Enrolment options
Semantics & Pragmatics is a two-credit compulsory subject. It provides an introductory study on meaning in language, both literal meaning and meaning constructed in relation to the users. It deals with the choices people make, the constraints they encounter in using language in social interactions, and the effects of their use of language on other participants in a speech event. Some topics to discuss are proposition, reference, deixis, lexical relation, participant role, implicature, presupposition, speech act, discourse structure, and politeness. During the course, students are presented with cases pertinent to the topics and analyze the cases in prescribed ways. At the end of the course students will achieve a competency in conducting studies on meaning in language, indicated by an awareness of the various aspects of meaning in language and an experience and ability in analyzing meaning in verbal communication.