Questions as Dialogue Games. The Pragmatic Dimensions of “Authentic” Questions

Studies in Philosophy and Education 42 (5):519-539 (2023)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Questions, and more specifically authentic questions, are at the core of dialogue-based learning and teaching. However, what is a question, and how can it be authentic? This paper addresses this problem by analyzing the distinct dimensions of questions, showing how their pragmatic nature is interwoven with the syntactic and semantic one, and how it can be grasped only by considering their dialogical functions. Questions are maintained to be proposals of different dialogue games (or types), pursuing specific interactional purposes, and potentially contributing to learning processes in different ways. By understanding how questions shape different dialogues it is possible to ask more suitable questions to the questioner’s goals. In this framework, the dichotomy between authentic and inauthentic questions becomes a strategic choice between different types of dialogical possibilities.

Author's Profile

Fabrizio Macagno
Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa

Analytics

Added to PP
2023-08-18

Downloads
185 (#86,781)

6 months
93 (#61,557)

Historical graph of downloads since first upload
This graph includes both downloads from PhilArchive and clicks on external links on PhilPapers.
How can I increase my downloads?