LAEN1 Y3 All Notes & Exercises:
LAEN Week 1:
Semantics:
Prosodic meaning= the way in which a sentence is spoken, especially the stress, can carry
meaning.
E.g.
John bought a red CAR (not bicycle, van etc….)
John bought a RED car (not blue, green, etc…)
JOHN bought a red car (not Ray or Mike, etc…)
Pragmatic meaning= the context in which the words are used can determine the meaning.
E.g.
The question ‘Is there any tea left?’ can be seen as either a simple request for information
or as a request for another cup of tea
Social meaning= politeness, rudeness, competence etc. can be communicated by
vocabulary choice. The use of technical terms and a rather formal vocabulary choice in a
presentation can assure the audience that the speaker is knowledgeable about this
subject.
E.g.
“Sensei”, ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ray’, for example, can be used to establish a specific level of
formality. Humour can be used to put participants in a meeting or presentation at ease.
Propositional meaning= the meaning of words can be determined by how closely they
accord with the facts of the situation.
E.g.
If someone says, ‘What a beautiful day’ and we know that it is cold and grey outside, then
we can assume that the speaker is being ironic.
Sociolinguistics:
‘Low context’ cultures such as the Dutch or German culture like lots of rules which can be
applied universally when decisions have to be made. In this way it is felt that everyone will
be treated equally and fairly
‘High context’ cultures such as many Asian cultures tend to prefer to decide how to act
depending on the situation and the people involved. In this way it is felt that everyone will
be treated appropriately.
LAEN Week 1:
Semantics:
Prosodic meaning= the way in which a sentence is spoken, especially the stress, can carry
meaning.
E.g.
John bought a red CAR (not bicycle, van etc….)
John bought a RED car (not blue, green, etc…)
JOHN bought a red car (not Ray or Mike, etc…)
Pragmatic meaning= the context in which the words are used can determine the meaning.
E.g.
The question ‘Is there any tea left?’ can be seen as either a simple request for information
or as a request for another cup of tea
Social meaning= politeness, rudeness, competence etc. can be communicated by
vocabulary choice. The use of technical terms and a rather formal vocabulary choice in a
presentation can assure the audience that the speaker is knowledgeable about this
subject.
E.g.
“Sensei”, ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ray’, for example, can be used to establish a specific level of
formality. Humour can be used to put participants in a meeting or presentation at ease.
Propositional meaning= the meaning of words can be determined by how closely they
accord with the facts of the situation.
E.g.
If someone says, ‘What a beautiful day’ and we know that it is cold and grey outside, then
we can assume that the speaker is being ironic.
Sociolinguistics:
‘Low context’ cultures such as the Dutch or German culture like lots of rules which can be
applied universally when decisions have to be made. In this way it is felt that everyone will
be treated equally and fairly
‘High context’ cultures such as many Asian cultures tend to prefer to decide how to act
depending on the situation and the people involved. In this way it is felt that everyone will
be treated appropriately.
