How Functional Linguistics and Pragmatics Work Together to Explain Real Language Use

What is it about?

This introduction explains how functional linguistics and pragmatics—two major areas of language study—are closely connected because both focus on how people actually use language in real situations. Functional linguistics looks at how the structure of language is shaped by the purposes it serves, such as describing the world or interacting with others. Pragmatics looks at how meaning depends on context, intentions, and social relationships. Although they developed from different traditions, they end up dealing with very similar questions. The authors explain that both fields study language in context, often using similar tools such as corpus analysis (large collections of real texts). They also highlight three main ways the fields come together. First, both want explanations that make sense of how language is used in real communication—what functional linguists call “pragmatic” or “discoursal adequacy.” For example, the structure of a sentence should be explained in terms of how people use it to communicate with one another. Second, they show how pragmatic phenomena—like politeness, indirectness, or discourse markers—can become part of grammar. This raises questions about where grammar ends and contextual meaning begins. Third, both fields depend heavily on contextualisation. Understanding how language works requires paying close attention to social situations, cultural conventions, and how texts unfold over time. Corpus linguistics supports this by providing large sets of authentic examples. The introduction also presents the structure of the volume and honours linguist Chris Butler, whose work has been central in linking functionalism, pragmatics, and corpus-based research.

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Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This introduction matters because it clarifies the deep connections between two influential approaches to studying language. It shows that functional linguistics and pragmatics are not separate domains but complementary perspectives on how meaning is created in context. By drawing them together, the authors set the stage for more integrated research on grammar, discourse, social interaction, and cognition. The chapter also highlights the importance of empirical methods—especially corpora—for testing theories about how language works in real life, not just in invented examples. This helps build more accurate, evidence‑based accounts of linguistic structure and use. Finally, by summarizing Chris Butler’s contributions, the introduction underlines how interdisciplinary work can advance our understanding of language across cognitive, social, and textual dimensions.

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