A Simplified Overview of Context in Pragmatics
The study of language should not be limited to its structures for example; phonology, lexis, syntax, etc., it should also include practical situations and conditions in which language can be used. This is because language is not only abstract but also it has a practical aspect which we experience in our day-to-day life. Context in Pragmatics, therefore, refers to actual situations and circumstances surrounding the use of language. What this means in essence is that language is not produced in a vacuum and that at every point in time, whenever we use language, there are always situations that influence our use of language ranging from the topic of discourse usually referred to as the "field", the relationship that exists between interlocutors "tenor", as well as how the message is conveyed, "mode". The focus on context in the field of linguistics sprang from the realization that language needs to be evaluated as a component of the social environment in w
