Dissertation > Excellent graduate degree dissertation topics show

A Cognitive-pragmatic Study of English Ironic Humor:a Relevance-theoretic Perspective

Author: OuYangXiaoXia
Tutor: ChengXiaoGuang
School: Liaoning Normal University
Course: English Language and Literature
Keywords: ironic humor cognitive pragmatics Relevance Theory cognitive context psychologicalmechanism
CLC: H313
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2012
Downloads: 1
Quote: 0
Read: Download Dissertation

Abstract


Humor is the essence of human linguistic art; moreover, ironic humor is characterized by both humor and irony. The study of humor dates from ancient times, involving philosophy, aesthetics, psychology, physiology and sociology, etc. However, it is since recent years that much linguistic, especially pragmatic research has been done on ironic humor. Abundant achievements have been attained after researches on humor and irony under semantics, pragmatics and cultural linguistics, etc. As a significant branch of pragmatics, cognitive pragmatics illustrates language operating mechanism through mental process as well as researches pragmatic issues according to cognitive-scientific approaches and theoretical frameworks.Based on advanced theories of pragmatics and cognitive linguistics, Relevance Theory is first proposed by Sperber and Wilson, both providing a new cognitive-pragmatic perspective for studying ironic humor and guiding the comprehension procedure of English ironic humor. Under Relevance Theory, hearers infer from speakers’ ostensive information in accordance with cognitive contextual assumptions which are most important in the interpretation of ironic humor when maximal relevance and optimal relevance conflict with each other. The dynamic cognitive context not only determines the nature of ironic humor, but also encourages hearers to seek optimal relevance out, and then enables them to perceive ironic humorous effects.In view of previous research findings of ironic humor, this study attempts to interpret the understanding process of ironic humor under Relevance Theory qualitatively, generalizing its general psychological mechanism cognitively in order to improve people’s abilities to appreciate and employ ironic humor, and then establish a cultural harmonious interpersonal atmosphere.

Related Dissertations

  1. Based on political speech discourse markers coherence function inquiry,H030
  2. The Application of Relevance Theory to the Teaching of English Reading in Senior High Schools,G633.41
  3. Cognitive Pragmatic Functions of Kinesics,H026
  4. On the Trnslaion of Associative Meanings of Culturally-loaded Works by Applying Relevance-Adaptation Model,H315.9
  5. On the Subjectivity of the Translators of Legal Documents from the Perspective of Relevance Theory,H315.9
  6. An Analysis of Subtitling Translation Through Relevance Theory,H059
  7. Analysis of Dialogues in Sons and Lovers from Relevance-theoretical Perspective,H313
  8. On Translation of Audiovisual Idioms from the Perspective of Relevance Theory,H059
  9. Analyze the Reductionist Approach to Translatology from Relevance Theory,H059
  10. Contrastive Studies of Pun in Figures of Speech,H15
  11. Relevance Theory-Based Analysis of Discourse Marker in American Presidential Political Speeches,H313
  12. A Relevance-theoretic Approach to Strategies of Handling Cultural Default in Translation,H059
  13. Pragmatics Relevance Theory on the College English Reading Comprehension,H319
  14. On the C-e Translation of Tourism-related Websites: from the Perspective of the Relevance Theory,H315.9
  15. The Application of Abduction in Context under the Perspective of the Relevance Theory,H030
  16. Exploring of Discourse Cohesion and Coherence Mechanism in Cognitive Perspective,H052
  17. The Translation of Chinese Xiehouyu Under the Theory of Relevance,H315.9
  18. Studies of Colloquial Discourse Markers in Friends from Perspective of Relevance Theory,H313
  19. Perspective of Relevance Theory Advertising Translation validity analysis,H315.9
  20. Relevance Theory Study of military term semantic generalization,H030
  21. On Subtitle Translation from the Perspective of Relevance Theory,H315.9

CLC: > Language, writing > FOREIGN > English > Semantics,vocabulary,semantic
© 2012 www.DissertationTopic.Net  Mobile