Language use
Human Language and Interaction; Dr. Marisa Casillas
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Now we’ll pretend-
You don’t want to hear that, do you?
Oh you came prepared, didn’t you?
Fictional settings
Melville writes to readers (in Moby-Dick): “Call me Ishmael”
Fictional settings
In Clueless (1995)
Silverstone: “Would you call me selfish?”
Dash: “Not to your face.”
Virtual agents: Amtrak Julie
Julie: Hi. This is Amtrak. I'm Julie. For an introduction to this system, say "introduction". Otherwise, you can say "reservations", "schedules and fares", or for a particular train's arrival or departure status say "train status".
Virtual agents: L train
“Transfer to green, blue, and brown line trains at Clark & Lake”
What is language use?
What is language use?
Spoken/signed | Written | Features? |
conversation | texting/DMs | two-way |
lectures | essays, blogs | largely one-way |
plays | scripts of plays | fictional talk |
movies | novels | fictional talk |
verbal broadcast | emergency alert text | no specific audience |
local TV news | NYT newspaper | select audience |
Traditional approaches
Language as structure
What is the structure of words and sentences?
How do we produce and understand language?�
Language as action
What do we do with language?
Why do we make assertions, ask questions, etc., in gossiping, bargaining, making plans?
How do we tell stories, and why?
Language as a medium of communication
How do we choose…
Linguistic expressions (words, sentences, etc.)
Gestures (pointing, nodding, air drawing, etc.)�
How do we use language to…
Establish commitments (with questions, assertions, apologies, etc.)
Coordinate with others for joint purposes
Some basic issues
What do we use language for?
Where does the structure and meaning of words and sentences come from?
What modes of thinking do we need in using language?
What does language tell us about the mind?
Base arena for language use
Base arena for language use
P
R
S
B
B
E
P = producer (“speaker”)�R = recipient
S = side participant
B = bystander
E = eavesdropper
Base arena for language use
Now we’ll pretend-
Oh you came prepared, didn’t you?
Base arena for language use
P
R
S
B
B
B
R/Man with props:�handing props to Costello
P/Costello:�Oh you came prepared, didn’t you?
Us?
Costello
Man with props
Audience
Abbott
E
P
R
Base arena for language use
P
R
B
B
P/Abbott:�Now we’ll pretend-
R/Costello:�hits back of head with bat
Abbott
Costello
Audience
B
B
Us?
E
R
P
Every utterance has a deictic frame
Costello: Oh you came prepared, didn’t you?�Abbott: Now we’ll pretend-
Abbott/manager: Happens to be his name!
Every utterance has a deictic frame:
“I-you-here-now”
I | you | here | now |
Costello | Audience member | Program set | 1953 |
Abbott | Costello | Program set | 1953 |
Abbott/manager | Costello/player | Retired Actors Home | Imagined contemporary time |
Conversation in base arenas is fundamental
Fundamental setting for language use
But people use language in other settings too
Settings for language use: Spoken/signed
Settings | Spoken/signed |
Personal | I talk to you |
Non-personal | I lecture to students |
Institutional | Lawyer interrogates witness in court |
Prescriptive | Person says “I do” to their betrothed in front of witnesses |
Fictional | I tell you a joke about two characters |
Mediated | An interpreter translates what I say into NGT for my collaborator |
Private | I talk to myself about plans |
Settings for language use: Written
Settings | Spoken/signed | Written |
Personal | I talk to you | I write a letter to you |
Non-personal | I lecture to students | Reporter writes a report for readers |
Institutional | Lawyer interrogates witness in court | Manager writes a business letter to clients |
Prescriptive | Person says “I do” to their betrothed in front of witnesses | I sign official documents in front of a notary public |
Fictional | I tell you a joke about two characters | I write a novel for readers |
Mediated | An interpreter translates what I say into NGT for my collaborator | A ghostwriter writes a book by me for readers |
Private | I talk to myself about plans | I write a note to myself about plans |
Settings for language use: Virtual
Settings | Spoken/signed | Virtual |
Personal | I talk to you | I ask a virtual agent for messages |
Non-personal | I lecture to students | Fire alarm announces “leave immediately” |
Institutional | Lawyer interrogates witness in court | A virtual agent requests more information to reschedule a flight |
Prescriptive | Person says “I do” to their betrothed in front of witnesses | I fill in a username and password |
Fictional | I tell you a joke | I talk to a character in a fictional game world |
Mediated | An interpreter translates what I say into NGT for my collaborator | My phone autocorrects my messages |
Private | I talk to myself about plans | I add “HLI class” to my calendar |
Features of face-to-face settings
Participants are…� Co-present: People share the same physical environment� Perceptually accessible: People can see/hear/feel each other
Producing and receiving are…� Instantaneous: People can monitor each other at no delay� Evanescent: The medium fades quickly� Recordless: People’s actions leave no record� Simultaneous: People produce and receive simultaneously
Producer’s actions are…� Extemporaneous: People’s actions are unscripted� Self-determined: People determine for themselves what to do� Acting themselves: People take actions as themselves
Layering in arenas
Quotations, jokes, and stories
Costello: Look you go to the first� baseman�Abbott: Yes.�Costello: And you say to him, “here’s� your money, sign the� receipt”
Abbott: nods
Costello: How does he sign his� name?
Abbott: “Who.”
Costello: The guy you give the� money to.
Abbott: That’s how he signs it.
Layering
P
R
Layers of action
layer 1
layer 2
layer 3
Layering examples
Layer | Domain | Utterance�(deictic frame “I-you-here-now” |
1 | actual | Oh you came prepared, didn’t you?�Costello, audience member, program set, 1953 |
Layer | Domain | Utterance�(deictic frame “I-you-here-now” |
2 | fictional | We're organizing a baseball team here at the retired actors home.�Abbott (manager), Costello (player), Retired Actors Home, contemporary imagined time 1 |
Layer | Domain | Utterance�(deictic frame “I-you-here-now” |
3 | depicted | “Here’s your money, sign the receipt”�Abbott/manager (≠ Costello/player), first baseman, Retired Actors Home (management office?), contemporary imagined time 2 |
Layer features
Layer | Layer features | “I-you-here-now” doing what |
1 | Who, to whom?�Where, when?�What? | Actual Costello to actual Abbott�Program studio set, 1953�A enacts scripted role in comedy routine |
2 | Who, to whom?�Where, when?�What? | Dimwit/player Costello and straightman/manager Abbott�Retired Actors Home, contemporary imagined time 1�A requests clarification from B |
3 | Who, to whom?�Where, when?�What? | Abbott/manager (≠ Costello/player) and first baseman�Retired Actors Home (management office?), contemporary imagined time 2�A requests for B to sign a receipt |
Personal settings
Who, to whom? | Context | Utterance |
Alan to Bob | Face to face�(Chicago, May 10) | “I thought it’d be warmer by now.” |
Alan to Bob | In letter�(Chicago, May 10) | “Looking forward to seeing you this summer!” |
Alan to Bob | Virtual agent�(Chicago, May 10) | “What is on my calendar for tomorrow?” |
I | You | Here | Now |
Alan | Bob | Chicago | May 10 |
Alan | Bob | Chicago, IL ≠ Palo Alto, CA | May 10 ≠ May 12 |
Alan | (imagined) Bob | Imaginary place | May 10 |
Fictional settings
In Clueless (1995)
Silverstone to Dash: “Would you call me selfish?”
�Dash to Silverstone: “Not to your face.”
Fictional settings
Melville writes to readers (in Moby-Dick): “Call me Ishmael”
Fictional settings
In Clueless (1995)
Silverstone as Cher to Ms. Geist (as Mr. Hall, quoting Shakespeare; written): “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May but thy eternal summer shall not fade.”
Fictional settings
Who, to whom? | Context | Utterance |
Dash to Silverstein | movie | “Not to your face.” |
Melville to readers | novel | “Call me Ishmael.” |
Hall to Geist | letter in movie | “... but thy eternal summer shall not fade.” |
I | You | Here | Now |
Dionne ≠ Dash | Cher ≠ Silverstein | Los Angeles high school ≠ Chicago | 1990s ≠ day of filming, or day of movie playback |
Ishmael ≠ Melville | “Landsmen” ≠ readers | Nantucket Inn ≠ Pittsfield, MA or Chicago | 19th century ≠ day of writing, or day of reading |
Hall ≠ Shakespeare, Cher, or Silverstein | Geist ≠ Caplan | Los Angeles high school ≠ Chicago | 1990s ≠ day of filming, or day of movie playback |
Real-life virtual agents
L train announcer: “Transfer to green, blue, and brown line trains at Clark & Lake”
Lee Crooks / L train voice
Amtrak Julie
Julie: Hi. This is Amtrak. I'm Julie. For an introduction to this system, say "introduction". Otherwise, you can say "reservations", "schedules and fares", or for a particular train's arrival or departure status say "train status".
Ken: Schedules and fares.
Julie: Great. I'll be able to help you look up...
Julie Stinneford
Actual vs. virtual agent
Nienke: Hoe was je ontbijt?
Pocket translator: How was your breakfast?
Kellie: Delicious, thank you!
Pocket translator: Heerlijk, dank u wel!
Julie Stinneford