PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE, GRAMMAR AND DISCOURSE ANALYSIS: THE NECESSARY RELATIONSHIPS.

S. Martín Menéndez, Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires/Universidad Nacional de

Abstract


Pragmatic perspective (Verschueren 1995, 1999) has been defined not as a level or a component for analyzing language in use, but as a point of view (that is, at the same time a point of departure) that frames the possible analysis of the use of language.


In this paper we would to establish clearly that this perspective must be applied to pragmatic discourse analysis (Menéndez 1995, 1997, 1998) in which grammar and pragmatics can be put to work.


Discourse Analysis, in general, and Critical Discourse Analysis, in particular, have always affirm that a strong grammatic theory is necessary. Not always this statement has been proved. We would like to state that Systemic-Functional Grammar (Halliday 2003, Halliday and Mathiessen 2004) is an adecuate theory to carry on a well sustained Discourse Analysis.


We will prove that there is a correlation between the three main characteristic of Pragmatic Perspective with grammar, discourse and discourse´s interpretation to show the complement of these three analytical stages.


Therefore, we will affirm that variability is in relatonship with a system of paradigmatic choices (the system) ; negociability with combining these choices as resources that speakers/writes combine in order to make discourse strategies possibly and adaptability with the possibility of making a critical interpretation of the uses of these strategies. Three layers are, thus, established through three disciplines in the following way:


Variability/Grammar/Description

Negociability/Pragmatics Discourse Analysis/Explanation

Adaptability/ Critical Discourse Analysis /Interpretation

We will prove our point with the analysis of different data taken from two different, but related discursive series that will serve us as example of our proposal. We call the first one “discourse of grammar”, and the second one, “discourse of language and literature textbooks”.


References


Halliday, M.. 2003. On language and linguistics. J.Webster (ed.). London, Continuum.
Halliday, M & Mathiessen, Ch. 2004. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London, Arnold.
Menéndez, S.M. 1995. Análisis pragmático del discurso: perspectiva textual y perspectiva discursiva. Anuario de Lingüística Hispánica. Valladolid: Universidad de Valladolid, 239-249.
Menéndez, S.M. 1997. Hacia una teoría del contexto discursivo. Tesis doctoral inédita. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Menéndez, S.M. 1998. El problema de definir “pragmática”. Buenos Aires, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras.
Verschueren, J. 1995. The pragmatic perspective. En Verschueren, J. Östman, J-O, Bloomaert, J. (eds.) Handbook of pragmatics. Manual. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
Verschueren, J. 1999. Understanding Pragmatics. London, Arnold.