A Pragmatic Analysis of English Textbooks in Hypertext

Abstract

This study sets out to analyse the English textbooks in hypertext to know how it conforms to the cooperative maxims, the relevance theory and the speech acts involved. The aim of this study is to show that pragmatics can facilitate the understanding of the operations in the computer hypertext documents/presentations. The data of this study are 30 purposively selected English textbooks, which were gotten from the 400 level B.A (Hons) English course compact from University of Benin and Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma both in Edo state. The research method adopted here is qualitative, the Researcher obtained hypertext forms of these selected English textbooks and analyzed them by specifying comprehensively in a tabular form the English textbooks in hypertext presentations. The aim was to know if they conform to the maxims and showing the cognitive and communicative effects behind the hypertext presentations and thus, find out the predominant illocutionary acts these English books in hypertext display. Findings show the maxims of relation, quantity and quality have not been violated by the English books presented in hypertext documents however the maxim of manner was violated. Only two illocutionary acts i-e (Representatives and Directives) can be interpreted in this form of interaction. In conclusion, English textbooks in hypertexts and its relationship with pragmatics cannot be disparaged, it will aid a proper understanding of the computer hypertext documents when it comes to enhancing academic knowledge.