Language Is Bound by Context

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Imagine a scenario in which your cousin prattles on and on about her wild spring break in Miami—how much she drank, how many parties she went to, and so on. Now imagine that she’s talking to your seventy-year-old grandmother . . . at your niece’s fifth birthday party . . . in front of a group of conservative, devoutly religious family members. These contrasting scenarios suggest that language is bound by contexts such as our relationship with the people we’re with, the situation we’re in, and the cultural factors at play. Does Grandma really want to hear about your cousin’s behavior? Is it really OK to talk about this at a little kid’s party? What about respecting the beliefs and sensibilities of your family members? We examine relational, situational, and cultural context later in this chapter. But for now, keep in mind that communicating competently involves understanding context as well as grammar.