Variational Pragmatics

The aim of this long-term research project is to further the study of intralingual pragmatic variation, and specifically to further develop the approaches and methodologies to variation in the field of variational pragmatics. Conceived of together with Klaus P. Schneider (Bonn) in the early years of this century, variational pragmatics is a field of research con­cer­ned with the sys­te­ma­tic in­ves­ti­ga­ti­on of the ef­fect of dif­fe­rent geo­gra­phi­cal and so­ci­al fac­tors on lan­gua­ge in (in­ter)ac­tion. It focuses on variation in the conventions of language use across the macro-social factors of region, gender, age, socio-economic class and ethnic identity and looks also at how these factors interact with each other and with micro-social factors, such as social distance and social dominance. Five ty­pes of lan­gua­ge va­ria­ti­on are re­co­gnis­ed, na­me­ly va­ria­ti­on in lan­gua­ge use ac­cor­ding to re­gi­on, so­cio-eco­no­mic class, eth­nic ide­ni­ty, gen­der and age.  Methodologically, the principles of empiricity, contrastivity and comparability are upheld, whereby the aim is to identify the specific influence of each macro-social factor. To date, questionnaires (DCT, FDCT) have been employed, as have comparable corpora. A current methodological debate concerns how comparability can be achieved in pragmatic research, whether the Labovian concept of the variable is usable or how a pragmatic variable might be defined. Further theoretical issues focused on in the current project concern the use and development of localised features by second language learners and the implications of variational pragmatic research for teaching and for the global context of English as an International Language.

A current sub-project within variational pragmatics focuses on the effect of national variety and gender. This project compares directives and responses to thanks realized by males and females across Canadian English, English English and Irish English in interactive direction-giving exchanges elicited using a semi-controlled Labovian methodology. Methodologically and theoretically, the project takes up the question of how comparability can be achieved in contrasting responses to thanks in interactional data across intralingual varieties.

The following list of publications give an overview of research carried out. The project The Pragmatics of Irish English is a related project, focused on describing Irish English from a pragmatic perspective. Publications from this project are not listed here (please see project description The Pragmatics of Irish English).

General:

Barron, A. (forthcoming). Pragmatic competence in EIL. In: Tajeddin, Z. & Alemi, M. (Eds.), English as an International Language: Pragmatic Pedagogy. Abingdon, New York: Routledge.

Barron, A. (forthcoming). (Pragmatic) Change and Variability. In: Haugh, M., Kada, D., Terkourafi, M. (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Sociopragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Barron, A. (Ed.). (2015). Special Issue: A variational pragmatic approach to regional variation in language: Celebrating the work of Klaus P. Schneider. Multilingua, 34(4).

Barron, A. (Ed.) & Schneider, K. P. (Eds.). (2009). Special issue on Variational Pragmatics. Intercultural Pragmatics, 6(4).

Barron, A. (2019).  Norms and variation in L2 pragmatics. In: Taguchi, N. (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and pragmatics (pp. 447-461). Abingdon, New York: Routledge.

Barron, A. (2017). Variational Pragmatics. In: Barron, A., Gu, Y., Steen, G. (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Pragmatics (pp. 91-104). Abingdon, New York: Routledge.

Barron, A. (2016). Kulturell geprägte Konventionen des Sprachgebrauchs. In: Burwitz-Melzer, E., Mehlhorn, G., Riemer, C., Bausch, K-R., Krumm, H-J. (Ed.), Handbuch Fremdsprachenunterricht (Vol. 6, pp. 131-136). Tübingen: Francke Verlag.

Barron, A. (2015). Explorations in regional variation: A variational pragmatic perspective. Multilingua, 34(4), 449-459.

Barron, A. (2014). Variational pragmatics. In: Chapelle, C. A. (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (EAL): electronic version (pp. 1-7). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Barron, A. (2009). Apologies across the U.S.A. In: Fraser, B. & Turner, K. (Ed.), Language in Life, and a Life in Language: Jacob Mey – A Festschrift (pp. 9-17). Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited.

Barron, A. (2005). Variational pragmatics in the foreign language classroom. System. 33(3), 519-536.

Barron, A. & Schneider, K. P. (2011). New trends in pragmatics: An overview. In:Frenk, J. & Steveker, L. (Eds.), Anglistentag 2010 Saarbrücken: Proceedings: [proceedings of the conference of the German Association of University Teachers of English] (pp. 379-386). Trier: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier.

Barron, A. & Schneider, K. P. (2009). Variational pragmatics: Studying the impact of social factors on language use in interaction. Intercultural Pragmatics, 6(4), 425-442.

Schneider, K. P. & Barron, A. (2012). Where pragmatics and dialectology meet: Introducing variational pragmatics. In: Kasher, A. (Ed.), Pragmatics II: Critical Concepts in Linguistics (Vol. V, pp.369-400). London, New York: Routledge.

Schneider, K. P. & Barron, A. (2008). Where pragmatics and dialectology meet: Introducing variational pragmatics. In: Schneider, K. P. & Barron, A. (Ed.), Variational Pragmatics: A Focus on Regional Varieties in Pluricentric Languages (pp.1-32). Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Schneider, K. P. (Ed.) & Barron, A. (Eds.). (2008). Variational pragmatics: A focus on regional varieties in pluricentric languages. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: Benjamins.

Barron, A. (2019, June 19). 'Your're welcome', 'alright', 'okay': Analysing pragmatic variation across the Englishes. Invited talk at Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.

Barron, A. (2019, May 22-24). Contrastivity and the pragmatic variable: Responses to thanks across English as a pluricentric language. Plenary talk presented at the Language, Nations, Cultures: Pluricentric Languages in Contest (s) Conference, Universität Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.

Barron, A. (2019, May 22-24). 'Sorry Miss I completely forgot it': A variational pragmatic perspective on apologies in Irish English and English English. Invited talk presented at the Languages, Nations, Cultures: Pluricentric Languages in Context(s) Conference, Universität Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.

Barron, A. (2019, April 26-27). Contrasting pragmatic choices in responding to thanks in Ireland, England and Canada. Paper presented at the New Approaches to Irish English (Corpus) Pragmatics Conference, Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.

Barron, A. (2018, November 27). ‘Listen I‘m sorry. I didn‘t mean to offend you.’: Conventions of language use across the Englishes. Invited talk at Universität Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.

Barron, A. (2017, April 26). ‘Granny do you want tea?’: Investigating offers across the Englishes. Talk presented at the Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany.

Barron, A.  (2012, December 8). Different cultures, different interactional norms: Addressing variation across the Englishes. Invited talk at Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.

Barron, A. (2010, September 19-22) Variation revisited: Language use across the Englishes. Paper presented at the Deutscher Anglistentag, Saarbrücken, Germany.

Barron, A. (2010, June 28). ‘Will I look have I something?’ Pragmatic variation across the Englishes. Invited talk at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany.

Barron, A. (2010, May 31). Offering in English: A corpus analysis of regional variation. Invited talk at Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.

Barron, A. (2010, April 26). ‘Shall I lock him up?’: Speech act variation across the Englishes. Invited talk at Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Barron, A. (2010, April 13). WILL and SHALL: The role of modality in doing things with words across the Englishes. Invited talk at Universität Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany.

Schneider, K.P. & Barron, A. (2009, July 12-17). Cultural Scripts and politic behaviour across varieties of English. Invited opening paper presented on the panel "Im/politeness across Englishes", convened by Derek Bousfield and Michael Haugh at the 11th International Pragmatics Conference, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Barron, A. (2008, December 31). Different cultures, different interactional norms: Addressing variation across the Englishes. Invited talk at Carl von Ossietzsky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.

Barron, A. (2008, November 10). ‘Will I call the doctor?’ Offers across regional varieties of English.

Barron, A. (2008, September 10-13). Does pragmatic variation have a place in foreign language teaching? Invited paper presented at the EUROSLA Conference, Aix-en-Provence, France.

Barron, A. & Schneider, K.P. (2008, April 3-5). Pragmatic variation: The interplay of micro-social and macro-social factors. Themed panel organised at the Sociolinguistics Symposium 17, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Barron, A. & Schneider, K.P. (2008, April 3-5). Pragmatic variation: The interplay of micro-social and macro-social factors. Themed panel organised at the Sociolinguistics Symposium 17, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Barron, A. & Schneider, K.P.  (2008, April 3-5). Investigating pragmatic variation. Paper presented at the Sociolinguistics Symposium 17 Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Barron, A. & Schneider, K.P. (2007, July 8-13). Variational pragmatics: A focus on region, age and gender. Themed panel organised at the 10th International Pragmatics Conference, Göteborg, Sweden. 

Schneider, K.P. & Barron, A. (2007, July 8-13). Developing variational pragmatics. 10th International Pragmatics Association (IPrA) Conference, Göteborg, Sweden.

Barron, A. & Schneider, K.P. (2006, July 6-8). Where is pragmatics in the study of language variation? The case of Irish English. Sociolinguistics Symposium 16 Conference, Limerick, Ireland.

Barron, A. (2006, March 27-30). Requesting in Irish English and English English: A study of intra-lingual regional pragmatic variation. 31. Internationales LAUD Symposium, Landau, Germany.

Barron, A. & Schneider, K.P. (2005, July 12). Variational pragmatics: Cross-cultural approaches. Panel organised at the 9th International Pragmatics Conference, Riva del Garda, Italy.  

Barron, A. & Schneider, K.P. (2005, July 10-15). Variational pragmatics: Contours of a new discipline. Paper presented at the 9th International Pragmatics Conference - IPrA 2005: Pragmatics and Philosophy, Riva del Garda, Italy.

Barron, A. (2005, June 10). Addressing regional pragmatic variation: Irish English and English English in contrast. Invited talk at Universität Münster, Münster, Germany.

Barron, A. (2004, September 8-11). Intra-language variation and interlanguage pragmatics. Paper presented at the 14th EUROSLA Conference, San Sebastian, Spain.

Barron, A. (2006, August 29-September 2). Where is language use in the description of the Englishes? – Invited talk presented at ESSE-8 (European Society for the Study of English), London, England.