Speaker
Description
Language as the fundamental means of communication can be used differently in dissimilar contexts, which results in varied interpretations of meaning. In order to obtain a deeper understanding of how a language functions in reality, pragmatics as the study of context-based meaning was introduced, of which the major principles encompass Speech Act Theory (Austin, 1962; Searle, 1969), Conversational Maxims (Grice, 1975), Politeness Theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987), and Deixis (Levinson, 1983). Despite the importance of pragmatic analysis for deeper apprehension of communicative practices, the literature faces limited studies applying these four frameworks in tandem to analyse public speeches. As a result, this study aims to bridge this gap by examining these pragmatic attributes reflected in Emma Watson’s (2014) HeForShe: Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too. This study adopted a qualitative descriptive research design using purposive sampling technique. Data were categorized according to each theoretical framework, enabling a structured comprehensive analysis. Concerning the findings, an analysis of this data source depicts a balanced utilization of different speech acts, including directives, assertives, and expressives, alongside politeness strategies to soften directive acts. Simultaneously, features of deixis and conversational maxims flouting also manifested themselves in her speech, which altogether expressed Watson’s wise language use. Findings of this study may benefit the design of EFL materials aiming at developing learners' awareness of speech acts, politeness, and implicature in authentic spoken discourse.
Keywords: pragmatics, speech act theory, conversational maxims, politeness theory, deixis
