The general objective of the course is to provide a clear and practical understanding of the key concepts and approaches of linguistic pragmatics, and to develop the ability to apply them in the analysis of simple cases of discursive communication.

By the end of the course, in accordance with the Dublin Descriptors, students must demonstrate:

1. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
(i) Knowledge of the main approaches of linguistic pragmatics and the fundamental concepts (speech acts, implicatures, presuppositions, etc.);
(ii) Understanding of linguistic communication mechanisms in light of major pragmatic theories.

2. APPLIED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
Ability to analyze simple communicative episodes by identifying and describing relevant pragmatic phenomena such as illocutionary forces, conversational implicatures, or presuppositions, using appropriate terminology.

3. INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT:
Capacity to critically evaluate different uses of language in context, formulating well-founded and defensible interpretive hypotheses regarding examples discussed in class or during the exam.

4. COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
(i) Ability to clearly and coherently present concepts and analyses acquired;
(ii) Accurate use of the technical terminology of the discipline and rigorous argumentation.

5. LEARNING SKILLS:
Development of critical skills for autonomous reading and comprehension of theoretical texts and for interpreting complex communicative phenomena, with attention to the inferential and contextual dimensions of meaning.

There are no specific prerequisites.

The topics covered during the course will include: 1. Orientations of linguistic pragmatics and its main concepts 1A. Speech acts 1B. Illocutionary force 1C. Illocution and perlocution 1D. Non-natural meaning 1E. The Cooperative Principle 1F. Types of implicature 1G. Semantic and pragmatic presuppositions 2. Applications of linguistic pragmatics in discourse analysis

Reading list Caponetto L., “Speech Acts”, in E. Paganini (ed.), Il primo libro di filosofia del linguaggio e della mente, Einaudi, Turin, pp. 97–108. Caponetto L., “Implicatures”, in E. Paganini (ed.), Il primo libro di filosofia del linguaggio e della mente, Einaudi, Turin, pp. 109–119. Sbisà M., Detto non detto. Le forme della comunicazione implicita, Laterza, Rome–Bari, 2007, Chapters 2, 3 and 4.

1. Orientations of linguistic pragmatics and its main concepts

1A. Speech acts
– Distinction between constative and performative utterances
– Felicity conditions for speech acts
– Types of infelicity
– Misfires
– The threefold distinction: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts

1B. Illocutionary force
– Classification of illocutionary forces
– Linguistic indicators of illocutionary force

1C. Illocution and perlocution
– Natural and non-natural effects
– Conventions and rules
– The role of speaker intention

1D. Non-natural meaning
– The distinction between semantic and pragmatic meaning
– Types of communicative intentions
– The psychologization of meaning

1E. The Cooperative Principle
– Structure of communicative interaction
– Goals of conversation
– Grice’s conversational maxims

1F. Types of implicature
– Conventional implicatures
– Conversational implicatures (generalized and particularized)

1G. Semantic and pragmatic presuppositions
– Definition and functions of presupposition
– Common ground in conversation
– Presupposition triggers
– The negation test

2. Applications of linguistic pragmatics in discourse analysis
– Analysis of felicity conditions and of natural/non-natural effects of various illocutionary acts
– Inferential strategies for making conversationally implicated content explicit
– Identification of triggers for conventional implicatures and semantic presuppositions
– Reconstruction of the common ground in conversation

Interactive frontal lectures using PowerPoint (or compatible) presentations prepared by the instructor.

PowerPoint presentations related to the course units will be made available on the Moodle@units and Microsoft Teams platforms.

The exam consists of an oral test lasting approximately 30 minutes, during which the student will discuss five examples of discourse analysis.
The exam aims to assess:
- the ability to identify the main communicative and linguistic phenomena studied in pragmatics;
- the competence in analyzing and describing those phenomena using appropriate disciplinary terminology.

Evaluation criteria:
Excellent (30 – 30 cum laude): excellent analytical skills, precise and articulate language, in-depth knowledge of the main orientations of linguistic pragmatics; the student brilliantly applies theories to concrete cases.
Very good (27 – 29): good analytical skills, excellent expressive command, solid theoretical knowledge; the student correctly applies concepts to concrete examples.
Good (24 – 26): good knowledge of key concepts and sufficient analytical ability; adequate language use and correct application to basic cases.
Satisfactory (21 – 23): partial knowledge of content and barely sufficient application ability; generally clear but not always precise language.
Sufficient (18 – 20): minimal knowledge and limited ability to apply it; language is weak but understandable.
Insufficient: unable to apply theoretical knowledge to concrete cases; inadequate language use and very poor understanding of core concepts.