ABSTRACT
This long essay focuses on the pragmatics study of selected political posters imprinted in the pages of selected newspapers. It seeks to identify the influence of pragmatic elements on encoded texts or utterance; it analyse the thought provoking influence of such political posters; the rules of pragmatics governing the use of language in this aspect. The data of choice were randomly selected (from the pages of THE NATION, THE SUN and THE VANGUARD newspapers) and the pragmatic elements were applied on them. Posters are capable of influencing the mind of the reader(s) when the context is taken into consideration, political ones for that matter. Implicitly, there are hidden intentions in most political posters. The pragmatic elements help to bring out the intended meaning of most posters. The outcome was evident in course of this research work. The study has shown that for political posters to perform their functions effectively, they must have in mind the reader’s ability to understanding their message through what is displayed.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Table of contents v
Abstract
vii
CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Purpose of study 1
1.3 Justification 2
1.4 Scope of the work 2
1.5 Methodology 3
1.6 Data description
3
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction 4
2.1 Definition of Pragmatics 4
2.2 Historical development 5
2.3 Elements of Pragmatics 6
2.3.1 Context 6
2.3.2 Presupposition 7
2.3.3 Implicature 7
2.3.4 Inference 8
2.3.5 Participants 8
2.3.6 Topic 8
2.3.7 Intention 9
2.3.8 World knowledge 9
2.3.9 Mutual contextual beliefs 10
2.4 Theories of Pragmatics 10
2.4.1 Searle’s Theory of Pragmatics 10
2.4.2 Adegbija’s Theory of Pragmatics 11
2.4.3 H.P Grice’s Theory of Pragmatics 12
2.4.4 K. Bach and R.M Harnish’s Theory of Pragmatics 13
2.5 Definition of poster 14
2.5.1 Headline 14
2.5.2 Handbill 14
2.5.3 Placard 15
2.6 Conclusion 15
CHAPTER THREE: DATA ANALYSIS
3.0 Introduction 16
3.1 Data Analysis 16
3.1.1 Datum one 16
3.1.2 Datum two 18
3.1.3 Datum three 19
3.1.4 Datum four 20
3.1.5 Datum five 22
3.1.6 Datum six 23
3.1.7 Datum seven 24
3.1.8 Datum eight 26
3.1.9 Datum nine 27
vi
3.1.10 Datum ten 28
3.2 Summary 30
3.3 Conclusion 31
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 Summary 32
4.2 Findings 32
4.3 Conclusion 33
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
The dynamism of language as a powerful tool of communication cannot be over-emphasized. There is countless number of things which we could do or use to achieve. It is therefore, no surprise if language is used to influence decision in various ways (even in the field of politics). Can one really mention any particular field of endeavour that does not involve the use of language?
This bring us to the view about pragmatics; an aspect of language study. Communication in any society happens chiefly by means of language. However, the users of language as social beings communicate and use language in the society’s premises. Mey (2001), in his second publication: Pragmatics: An Introduction has this to say:
…pragmatics as the study of the way human being use their
Language in communication, bases itself on a study of those
Premises and determine how they effect and effectualize human
Language use… (pp6)
With the above aforementioned extracted text, we therefore, take a critical look at pragmatics, its influence on the analysis of political posters. The strength it commands in influencing the needed effect.
