The Internet has become an integral part of everyday life and has
changed the way we communicate with other people. It has generated novel
genres (e.g. e-mail, blogs, vlogs, etc.) and given rise to a variety of
social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram,
etc.) on which people interact with one another “on the go” via
smartphones and other (mobile) devices.
This course is interested in the sociopragmatics of such digital
discourses, or how people use language in diverse online contexts to
achieve interpersonal social goals. We will investigate the principles
which govern communication by adopting an interpersonal pragmatics
perspective. More specifically, we will discuss major theoretical
approaches and concepts within the field of pragmatics (e.g. Gricean
maxims, speech act theory, linguistic (im‑)politeness, identity work,
among others) and apply them to language data found in online spaces.
There will also be room to discuss examples from your favourite
platforms, so feel free to bring your own ideas and material for
discussion. Further details will be made available in the first session.
- Lehrende(r): Michael Wentker