Open Access
American Research Journal of English and Literature
ISSN (Online): 2378-9026
DOI: 10.46568/arjel
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Pragma-crafting Theory
Faculty of Arts, Social and Management Sciences, Federal University Birnin-Kebbi, Department of European
Languages, Birnin-Kebbi, Nigeria.
Department of English, Faculty of Arts, Federal University, Lokoja, Nigeria.
Acheoah, John Emike; Ibileye, Gbenga Department of European Languages, Federal University,
Birnin-Kebbi, Nigeria. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Pragma-crafting Theory ARJEL Volume 2 ,2016; pp:1-13
Abstract
The focus of pragmatic theories from classical to contemporary times includes speech acts,
contexts, shared knowledge and meaning (implicatures and presuppositions). As a reaction to the state of
the literature of pragmatics, the Pragma-crafting theory attempts to elucidate novel concepts and issues in
human communication across genres. The theory is both an improvement and an extension of Mey (2001). Any
framework for the pragmatic analysis of discourse should be the product of interdisciplinary research. This
paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Pragma-crafting Theory. Indeed, pragmatics, semantics,
semiotics and sociolinguistics interact to underscore the interpretation of language via linguistic and extra
linguistic “agencies” of communication. This study briefly examines some classical and contemporary pragmatic
theories with a view to locating the ways in which the Pragma-crafting Theory adds new insights to existing
body of knowledge in the literature. The study finds that the theory establishes new categories of predating
notions, and evolves thought-provoking perspectives in cross-cultural pragmatics.