Correctness and appropriateness Factors

◦ Participants◦ Social context◦ Topic◦ Function

Speech functions

Every afternoon my friend packs her bag and leaves her office at about 5 o’clock. As she leaves, her business partner says Goodbye Margaret, (she replies goodbye Mike), her secretary says goodbye Mrs. Walker (she replies goodbye Jill) and the caretaker says Bye Mrs. Walker (to which she responds goodbye Andy). As she arrives home she is greeted by Hi mum from her daughter, hello dear, have a good day? from her mother and simply you’re late again from her husband. Later in the evening, the president of the local flower club calls to ask if she would like to join. Good evening, is that Mrs. Billington? she asks. No, it’s Ms. Walker, but my husband’s name is David Billington, she answers. What can I do for you? Finally, a friend calls Hello Meg, owz it goin?

Every afternoon my friend packs her bag and leaves her office at about 5 o’clock. As she leaves, her business partner says Goodbye Margaret, (she replies goodbye Mike), her secretary says goodbye Mrs. Walker (she replies goodbye Jill) and the caretaker says Bye Mrs. Walker (to which she responds goodbye Andy). As she arrives home she is greeted by Hi mum from her daughter, hello dear, have a good day? from her mother and simply you’re late again from her husband. Later in the evening, the president of the local flower club calls to ask if she would like to join. Good evening, is that Mrs. Billington? she asks. No, it’s Ms. Walker, but my husband’s name is David Billington, she answers. What can I do for you? Finally, a friend calls Hello Meg, owz it goin?

People can mean something quite different from what their words mean

(point to a window) Open the window. Please open the window. Could you open the window? Would you mind opening the window? I was wondering if you could open the

window for me?

Correctness refers to being grammatically correct.

Appropriateness refers to saying the right thing at the right time to the right person

Participants Social context Topic Function

Participants◦ Who is speaking? Who are they speaking to?

Intimate

High solidarity

Distant

Low Solidarity

Superior High status

Subordinate Low status

Social context◦ Where are they speaking?

High formality

Low formality

Topic◦ What is being talked about?

High information content

Low information content

Referential

High affective content

Low affective content

Affective

Function◦ Why are they speaking?

The purpose of talk will affect its form◦ Expressive◦ Directive◦ Referential◦ Phatic

Expresses the speaker’s feelings I’m feeling great today.

Attempts to get someone to do something Clear the table.

Provides information In thirty seconds it will be three o’clock

sharp.

Expresses closeness and empathy with others

Hi, how are you? It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?

There are others◦ Metalinguistic: to describe language ◦ Money is a mass (non-count) noun and car is a

count noun.◦ Poetic: focuses on the rhythm of language◦ Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

◦ Commissives: promises or threats◦ I promise that I’ll hand in my paper tomorrow.◦ Performatives: expresses formal language, e.g.,

marriage vows, bets, declarations of war, etc.◦ I now pronounce you man and wife.

Correctness and appropriateness Factors

◦ Participants◦ Social context◦ Topic◦ Function

Speech functions