an introduction to the english language system dott. m. gatto lingue e culture per il turismo lingua...
TRANSCRIPT
An Introduction to the English
Language System
Dott. M. Gatto
Lingue e Culture per il Turismo
Lingua e Traduzione Inglese I
LanguageSystem
Use Structure
Context and culture(situation)(register)
Communicative Functions PhonologyGraphology
LexiconGrammar
StyleLinguistic Variations
LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
It’s raining…
• Informing?
• Complaining?
• Blaming/Regretting ?
• Request? (an umbrella? a taxi?)
How to Do Things with Words (Austin 1962)
SPEECH ACT THEORYThree kinds of acts that can be perfomed by an utterance:
• THE LOCUTION: the formal meaning of an utterance (what words actually mean)
• THE ILLOCUTION: the communicative force (what words actually do: warn, prohibit, suggest, inform, persuade...)
• THE PERLOCUTION: the effect on the hearer or reader (what words actually achieve)
It is necessary to go behind the formal/literal level of what is being said.
It is not sufficient to understand the conceptual meaning of the LOCUTION; one must also understand what the speaker/writer is doing (ILLOCUTION) and what s/he want to achieve (PERLOCUTION)
i.e. the speech act being performed
English
Read these instructions carefully
= warning
= 2nd person imperative
Italian
Leggere attentamente le istruzioni
= warning
= infinitive
English
Do not lean out
= prohibition
= 2nd person imperative
Italian
E’ pericoloso sporgersi
= warning
= indicative
Elements of verbal communicationR.JAKOBSON, Linguistics and Poetics (1960)
Addresser Message Addressee
Contact
Context
Code
Expressive Poetic Conative Phatic Referential Metalingual
Addresser > Emotive/Expressive Function
- Ahi!
- Great!
• Addressee > Vocative/Conative Function
• You won’t believe your eyes
• Do not lean out!
• Beware of dogs.
Message > Poetic Function
The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.(from Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,The furrow followed free;We were the first that ever burstInto that silent sea.
Soffiava il buon vento, volava la bianca spumaseguiva libera la scia;I primi fummo che irrompemmoIn quel tacito mare.
La ballata del vecchio marinaio (trad. T. Tommaso Pisanti)
• Context > Referential/InformativeAfter almost half a century of sustained growth, Europe continues to be the world’s top tourist destination. In the last twenty years alone tourism demand has more than doubled. Its economic impact is equally impressive. According to 1998-2000 figures, 12% of Europe's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is generated by tourism and tourism-related activities and over 20 million jobs have been created in this sector, essentially within Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Contact > Phatic Function
• Click here
• Nice weather, isnt it?
• See you.
Code > Metalingual Function
àspro, a. 1 (di sapore) sour; tart, bitter […]; 2 (di suono) harsh; rasping; grating. 3 (fig. duro) harsh; hard; bitter; 4 (ruvido) rough; rugged […]; 5 (scosceso) steep; 6 (di clima) severe; raw; harsh. ● (ling.) […] (Il Ragazzini, 1996)
Communicative functions and text types (1)
Expressive or emotive function
Journals
Autobiographies
Letters
Technical reports
Textbooks
Newspapers
Advertising
Political propaganda
Charity appeals
Referential or Informative function
Vocative orconative function
Communicative functions and text types (2)
Poetic function
Poetry
songs
Nursery rhymes
Greetings
Condolences
Good wishes
Grammar
Dictionary
Phatic function
Metalingual function
Guidebooks informative + conative
Dublin is one of Europe’s
most compelling capitals,
and an absolute must on any
list of top 10 European cities
to visit. If you’ve never
visited, make plans to do so;
if you have, you won’t need
us to tell you to return.(The Lonely Planet Guide to Dublin)
Dublino è una delle piùaffascinanti capitali europeetanto che figura sempre fra ledieci città più visitated’Europa. Perciò, se ci nonsiete mai stati potrebbeessere la vostra prossimameta, se invece l’avete giàvisitatata potreste sempretornarci.(Lonely Planet. Dublino)
Do – It – Yourself
IDENTIFY THE DOMINANT FUNCTION IN THE FOLLOWING
TEXTS
12 gennaio 2007
Caro diario, la giornata di ieri è stata veramente fenomenale…
(expressive)
TVUKDB
(phatic)
Sustainable tourism is a form of tourism that follows the principles of sustainability.
(metalinguistic)
(conative – regulative)
My mother wanted me to have piano lessons.My father wanted me to go to Harvard. My teacher wanted me to become a lawyerMy wife wants me to stay at home…
(from a Mitsubishi Advert)
(conative – persuasive)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.
(conative regulative)
To sum up…
From functions > to text types > to genres
From language > to culture
HOMEWORK
M.Ulrych, Translating Texts, Chapter 2