A A pragmatic and Grammatical analyses of Captions on Taxis and Motorbikes in Bamenda

Abstract

This study investigates the use of some pragmatic and grammatical strategies in captions on taxis and motorbikes in Bamenda. The study seeks to examine the contextual use of captions on taxis and motorbikes and to see how the sample of texts selected comply with Speech Act theory of pragmatics, to find out how captions on taxis and motorbikes in Bamenda reflect the socio-cultural experience of commuters and motorbikers and to find out why some of the captions are full with grammatical errors. The Study seeks to argue that captions on taxis and motorbikes in Bamenda reflect the socio-cultural experience of their owners. With Austin’s and Searle’s Speech Act theory, the study has made an inventory of captions on taxis and motorbikes and has found out that these captions do perform some illocutionary acts of advising, wishing, accusing, warning, promising, comforting, blessing, asking, asserting, informing, requesting, and thanking. Using Error Analysis by S. P. Corder, the researcher has made an inventory of captions on taxis and motorbikes to show that some captions do contain errors. These captions represent the socio-cultural experiences of the drivers and motorbikers that are pragmatically constructed to illustrate social inequality, greed, the greatness of God and the nature of man. Furthermore, captions on taxis and motorbikes were found to conceal information that are decodable through a pragmatic interpretation that were to be considered and were also found to contain errors. The reasons behind the errors are attributed to the social media, SMS Lingo and to the fact that the English Language in this context is used as a second language. Hence, some people or drivers and motorbikers who write captions on taxis and motorbikes in the present context do not master the rules that govern the language.