The Function Of Context In Discourse Interpretation

The study of context is a subject that flourishes with the rise of pragmatics.However,there has been no agreement on the definition,classification and constituent elements of context.Context is the situation on which verbal communication depends.Context influences and restricts semantics,and influences the expression and understanding of the discourse of the communicating parties.Context plays a restrictive and explanatory role in meaning understanding.Therefore,when people use language to communicate,they should pay attention to using the appropriate language at the appropriate time and place.Meaning is an inherent and fixed attribute of language that is not affected by external factors.Pragmatics,on the other hand,holding that in addition to making clear the meaning of a word or a sentence,it is necessary to study the communicative value of a word or a sentence in a specific context,that is,the communicative meaning of the language user in a certain context.Broadly speaking,pragmatics connects the inherent meaning of language and characters with specific usage occasions and context.The significance of pragmatics is the communicative value of words or sentences in specific contexts.Context plays an important role in understanding the meaning of a discourse.Human beings have a common cognitive psychology.People know things through relevant knowledge and information.People cannot understand the meaning of each sentence without context.They will generate new cognition to the existing cognitive context,and the new cognition will affect the next discourse understanding.Therefore,in communicative activities,both parties should be adept at using the context to accurately express and understand the meaning of discourse.This thesis is divided into five chapters:The first chapter is the introduction,which includes the background,objectives and significance and the structure of this thesis.The second chapter is literature review,including the research situations and achievements of context at home and abroad.The third chapter is the theoretical foundation of this study,in which the definition and classification of context are introduced in detail.Chapters Four is the main part of the study.Chapter Four taking the factors of context restriction,external function and internal function of context as the research perspectives,studies the function of context in the interpretation of discourse.And the last chapter is a summary of this thesis.The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of different contexts on the meaning of discourse and how it promotes the development of the plot by analyzing the characters'dialogue and inner monologue in Downton Abbey,so that readers can get closer to the characters and better understand the meaning of the discourse between the characters.By studying the surface structure of the discourse of the characters in different contexts,such as the tone,words and intonation,the actual semantics that the characters want to express in the discourse are obtained,which can help readers to analyze how the dialogue between the characters achieves the expected pragmatic effect and understand the dialogue between the characters more accurately.Finally,a detailed analysis of the role of context in discourse meaning helps people to better understand the theory of the importance of context in the constructing and understanding of discourse meaning,and can effectively help people to analyze the real meaning of dialogue in a script or work.It provides clear and intuitive basis for the interpretation of Downton Abbey.So as to provide theoretical support and guidance for literary discourse appreciation and teaching.