This textbook, which calls for a user-oriented, societal approach of pragmatics, consists of three major parts. Part I covers some basic concepts and definitions of pragmatics. Part II focuses on 'micropragmatics', some specific topics traditionally associated with the study of pragmatics, ranging from implicature to deixis to speech acts. Part III is devoted to 'macropragmatics', reflections on the societal parameters of language production.