LFU:online

Students gain an insight into current linguistic research questions and results and work under guidance on a concrete topic

Politeness and humour require a special interpretation effort and thus strongly challenge pragmatic theories. In pragmatics and sociology, linguistic politeness is seen as "face-work" in the tradition of Erving Goffman (1967).

The seminar will deal with this approach, with pragmatics of politeness, historical change, institutional communication and cultural comparisons. We also work on newer approaches. Special types of activities such as compliments and forms of rudeness (e.g. on the internet) are also discussed, for example in funny packaging. Humorous communication invites laughter and amusement and somehow deviates from a normal expectation, be it of a linguistic-discursive or non-discursive nature.

Joke with its punch line structure is best explored, but teasing or bantering are also very common in everyday life and play with expectations of politeness. Concrete text and conversation analyses will be carried out during the seminar, also using your own recordings.

For each seminar session there is general reading, which must be read by everyone. Short presentations will also be given.

Active participation in class, preparatory reading, assignments, presentations, short documentation of outcomes  

Provided during the course