论英语听力理解中的推理与关联

Discussion on Inference and Relevance of English Listening Comprehension

20世纪80年代,作为认知语用学的理论基础——关联理论,提出了这样的假设:人们理解话语就是在推理中选择最合适语境,并求得话语与语境之间的关联性,以获取语境效果。作者运用这一理论尝试探讨英语听力教学中学习者语言理解的过程。以全国大学英语四级水平测试中听力理解部分全真试题为语料,说明关联理论对英语听力理解的阐释力。认为听力教学中可以运用认知语用学中的关联理论培养学生在语境假设中寻找推理依据以获取语境效果的能力,以此提高学生理解交际话语的理解能力。

In the 1980s, the relevance theory as a basic theory of cognitive pragmatics raised the assumption that the process of utterance interpretation is equal to the choice of the best context after inferences in order to find the relevance between utterance and context. Only in this way can the best contextual result be acquired. This paper attempts to investigate the process of English learners＇ comprehension of listening materials with the basic theory of cognitive pragmatics-Relevance Theory. The importance and feasibility of the relevance theory used in listening class is indicated. The test papers of College English Test Band 4 are analysed. It is advised that English teachers encourage students to nurture the abilities of using inference to obtain context effects in terms of context, which in turn will lead to a better interpretation on communicative utterances.