A Pragmatic Study Of Discourse Marker Well In The Big Bang Theory

With the growth of pragmatics, the linguists gradually realize the importance of discourse markers in language use. More and more scholars study the discourse markers and their use from different perspectives, three of which are the most influential:the coherence-based approach represented by Deborah Schiffrin, the grammatical-pragma approach represented by Bruce Fraser and the relevance-theoretic approach represented by Diane Blackmore. Well, one of the most frequently used discourse markers, has attracted much attention from many scholars abroad and at home.Based on the previous studies and theories, this thesis does a qualitative and quantitative research into the pragmatic functions of discourse marker well in the data The Big Bang Theory (season two) within the framework of relevance theory. There are a total of236uses of well in the data The Big Bang Theory (season two),222of which are used as discourse markers. Well can help the hearer to reconstruct the contextual assumptions and achieve the intention of utterances that the speaker intends to express. Through the analysis of the data The Big Bang Theory, five pragmatic functions of well can be presented. Firstly, it can be used as contemplation marker, which shows that the hearer needs time to think or meditate; secondly, it can be used as mitigation marker, which minimizes the possible threat to the interlocutor’s face; thirdly, it can be used as coherence marker, which can show that the speaker shifts a topic or returns to a main topic after some breaking; fourthly, it can be used as shift-turn marker, which means bidding for the floor, prompting the floor or relinquishing the floor; at last, it can be used as correcting marker, which is used to correct the error or mistaken assumptions of others or one own. Therefore, the discourse marker well can constrain the hearer’s interpretation as well as the understanding of the utterances, and meanwhile, it can assist to guide the hearer to achieve the optimal relevance with the least effort in communication so as to make the communication go smoothly. With the systematic study of discourse marker well in the thesis, people can better understand the meaning well contains and prove the great interpretability of the relevance theory, at the same time it can help English learners better express their meaning as well as understand the real intention of the speakers.