Lesson Three Context of Situation Scripts etc Scripts

Lesson Three • Context of Situation

Scripts, etc. • Scripts • Frames • Mental Models

Scripts, etc. • The plane carrying much needed food crashed. • The pilot was unhurt but captured by… • (context)

Scripts, etc. • Mary got some beer out of the car. • The beer was warm. • Mary got some picnic things out of the car. • The beer was warm.

Context of Situation • FIELD • TENOR • MODE

FIELD • The nature of the social action. • What is happening. • Who is doing what to whom, when, where how and why.

TENOR • Participant roles – Eg. informer, questioner • Personal relationships – Eg. mother/daughter; teacher/pupil; doctor/patient

MODE • How the language is organised. • Channel – spoken, written, phoned, faxed, … • What the language is doing. – eg. Persuading, teaching, …

Example: shampoo ad • Phase 1: – Field: providing medical information – Tenor: formal, indicative – Mode: ‘written to be spoken’ (TV)

Example: shampoo ad 2 • Phase 2: – Field: promoting the product – Tenor: informal, imperative – Mode: colloquial, spoken mode

Example: shampoo ad 3 • Phase 3: – Field: a satisfied customer expressing delight with his friends – no dandruff. – Tenor: informal, expressive, friendly relationships between peers – Mode: conversational dialogue

Functions of Language • Ideational function • Interpersonal function • Textual function

Ideational function • Language functions to encode and transmit information between members of society. • • It uses transitivity structures: John kicked Bill. (material process) Bill thought “You…. ”! (mental process) They are no longer friends (relational process)

Interpersonal function • Language functions to establish and maintain relations between members of society. • Bill: Hey, you kicked me! • John: I’m sorry, really, but it was your fault. • Bill: What do you mean, it was my fault!!!

Textual Function • Language functions to organise messages. • Theme/rheme Given/New • Bill: John, I hate you. • John: Look, don’t be angry.

Register • Affect • Status • Contact

Register 2 Happy Birthday to an OLD friend!

Register 3 To Mr. Reginald Smith The management wish to extend their sincere good wishes on the occasion of your birthday.

Register 4 Oh, it’s your birthday, is it? Well, many happy returns, mate.

Register 5 Roses are red Violets are blue Here are my birthday wishes to you. Happy birthday, darling. xxxx

Register 6 • And funeral condolences…?

Context! in translation “He ate my bacon sandwich!” – connotation/denotation “Mi ha mangiato il panino!”