An investigation into the linguistic devices to signal implications in the conversation extracts in toefl ibt

Abstract

This paper investigated types of implicatures and the linguistic units that realized their communicative functions in conversations and lectures in TOEFL iBT in terms of semantic and pragmatic aspects. An analysis was made to find out a practical framework for a relevant answer to inferential questions in the Listening tasks. An integrated analysis has been used in the semantic and pragmatic framework to discuss the quantificational and qualitative signals of implication. The data of the study were collected from the extracts of conversations in the listening tasks from the materials for TOEFL iBT. The results of data analysis pointed out the common types of implicatures employed by the speakers in conversations and lectures and the linguistic realizations that triggered the implicatures in particular international situations. Especially, the study has provided a specific procedure to generate the implications with a cognitive and pragmatic path for the hearer to in interpret and reach the most relevant implication among the potential ones. The study also put forward some implications for the English learning and teaching so that language learners could overcome some difficulties when dealing with inferential questions in the Listening sections in TOEFL iBT