The Routledge Handbook of Pragmatics provides a state-of-the-art overview of the wide breadth of research in pragmatics. An introductory section outlines a brief history, the main issues and key approaches and perspectives in the field, followed by a thought-provoking introductory chapter on interdisciplinarity by Jacob L. Mey. A further thirty-eight chapters cover both traditional and newer areas of pragmatic research, divided into four sections:
- Methods and modalities
- Established fields
- Pragmatics across disciplines
- Applications of pragmatic research in today's world.
With accessible, refreshing descriptions and discussions, and with a look towards future directions, this Handbook is an essential resource for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers in pragmatics within English language and linguistics and communication studies.
"This handbook represents a unique and innovative contribution to the state-of-the-art in pragmatic study. It sets a critical agenda for conceptualisations of the discipline in all its complexity with admirable clarity. It is an ideal and comprehensive companion for those interested in an exciting field that has seen an explosion of growth and interdisciplinary variegation in recent years."
- Brian Clancy, University of Limerick, Ireland
"To conclude, RHP, which brings together experts in pragmatics presenting traditional issues, current trends and developments, and also possible future directions in pragmatic research, is not only about the pragmatics of yesterday and today, but also about the pragmatics of tomorrow. This handbook will definitely give a helping hand to those who want to be familiar with both established domains and to keep abreast of new and prom-ising areas of pragmatic research. Both old and new hands in pragmatics will find this handbook accessible, authoritative and valuable. RHP has convincingly shown that prag-matics can be a very diverse, promising area of knowledge full of vitality, permeating numerous corners of human interaction, cognition and sociality. It may be no exaggera-tion to say that where there is life, there is pragmatics. Ultimately, we may find that pragmatics is a way with language, a way with life and a way with lifeworlds."
- Chaoqun Xie, College of Foreign Languages, Fujian Normal University, China, Discourse Studies
