On The Pragmatic Effects Of Linguistic Taboos In English Films From The Perspective Of Adaptation

Linguistic taboos should be avoided in linguistic communication, but in some special context the proper use of linguistic taboos may not hinder the communication, but achieve some special pragmatic effects that other words can't achieve. However, due to its sensitive nature, the linguistic taboo has long been put aside in the study of language and early researches on linguistic taboos mostly are limited to anthropology, ethnography, psychology and sociology. Based on the previous researches, the present study attempts to explore the field from a new perspective, i.e. analyzing the pragmatic effects of linguistic taboos in English films with the Theory of Adaptation put forward by the Belgium linguist Jef. Verschueren.On the basis of the review of the previous studies, it further illustrates the significance of studying English linguistic taboos in context, the methodology adopted in this study and the purpose of the study. And then, it makes a relatively systematic elaboration of the definition, classification, features and functions of linguistic taboos, which lay a solid foundation for the analysis of pragmatic effects in communicative context.According to Verschueren's Theory of Adaptation, language use can be taken as the continuous making of linguistic choices by adapting to the relevant contextual elements, which is not only influenced by language users' mental world, social conventions and the temporal and spatial changes to different degrees, but also adaptive to these factors in use. The theory is composed of four angles of investigation, i.e. contextual correlates of adaptation, structural objects of adaptation, dynamics of adaptation, and salience of the adaptation process, and is theoretically supportive to the present study. This thesis carries out the study of pragmatic effects of English linguistic taboos mainly from the perspective of contextual correlates of adaptation.In accordance with the Theory of Adaptation, English linguistic taboos' use is a conscious act of linguistic choices rather than unconscious one. The process of linguistic choices is a dynamic process of continuous adaptation to the communicative context, i.e. the speaker has to adapt to language user (profession, level of education and the relationship between the communicators), mental world (personality traits and emotions), social world (social status, social conventions and social institutions) and physical world (temporal and spatial references) when making linguistic choices. English linguistic taboos'use adapts to the above factors to different degrees, which benefits the effective achievement of the communicative goals and such special pragmatic effects as straightforward illustrating, intensifying modal, venting emotions and enlivening the atmosphere.This thesis makes a relatively systematic study of the linguistic taboos in English films from the perspective of adaptation, which extends the research field of linguistics, and meanwhile gives some constructive guidance to the appropriate use of English linguistic taboos and English learning. Finally, it points out the limitations of the study and further puts forward some advise to the future study of English linguistic taboos.