Impoverished pragmatics? The semantics-pragmatics interface from an intercultural perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 489-515
Author(s):  
Istvan Kecskes
Keyword(s):  
Target Language ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
Situational Context ◽  
Pragmatic Enrichment ◽  
Linguistic Code ◽  
Pragmatic Implication ◽  
Communicative Process ◽  
New Type ◽  
Intercultural Interactions ◽  
Pragmatic Strategies

AbstractThe semantic-pragmatic interface debate is about how much actual situational context the linguistic signs need in order for them to be meaningful in the communicative process. There is evidence that interlocutors in intercultural interactions rely more Some of the ideas in the paper are based on chapter six in Kecskes (2019). on the compositional meaning of linguistic signs (semantics) than contextually supported meaning (pragmatics) because actual situational context cannot help pragmatic implication and interpretation the way it does in L1 communication. At the same time in pragmatic theory there seems to be an agreement between the neo-Gricean account and the post-Gricean account on the fact that the process of implicature retrieval is context-dependent. But will this L1-based contextualism work in intercultural interactions? Is pragmatics impoverished if interlocutors can only partly rely on pragmatic enrichment coming from context and the target language? The paper argues that in fact pragmatics is invigorated rather than impoverished in intercultural communication. A new type of synchronic events-based pragmatics is co-constructed by interlocutors. Instead of relying on the existing conventions, norms and frames of the target language interlocutors create their own temporary frames, formulas and norms. There is pragmaticization of semantics which is a synchronic, (usually) one-off phenomenon in which coded meaning, sometimes without any specific pragmatic enrichment coming from the target language, obtains temporary pragmatic status. This pragmatic enrichment happens as a result of interlocutors’ blending their dictionary knowledge of the linguistic code (semantics) with their basic interpersonal communicative skills and sometimes unusual, not necessarily target language-based pragmatic strategies that suit them very well in their attempt to achieve their communicative goals.

The interplay of prior experience and actual situational context in intercultural first encounters

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-134
Author(s):  
Istvan Kecskes
Keyword(s):  
Common Ground ◽  
Behavior Pattern ◽  
Prior Experience ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Speech Community ◽  
Situational Context ◽  
Intercultural Encounters ◽  
Intercultural Interactions ◽  
Situational Experience

Abstract The study aims to investigate how prior experience of interlocutors interacts with actual situational context in intercultural interactions when the latter is represented by a well-known frame: getting acquainted with others. It attempts to demonstrate how the cultural frame of the target language is broken up and substituted with an emergent frame that is co-constructed from elements from prior experience with the target language, the first language and the actual situational experience. Getting acquainted with others is a closed social situation, a cultural frame in which interlocutors usually have to follow a behavior pattern dictated by the requirements of the socio-cultural background in a given speech community. There is a ‘skeleton’ of these ‘getting to know you’ procedures that can be considered universal but is substantiated differently in every language. In each conversation in any language, ‘flesh’ is added to the ‘skeleton’ in a dynamic and co-constructed manner. However, there is a difference between how this happens in L1 and in intercultural interactions. While in L1 the ‘flesh’ on the skeleton is predetermined to a significant extent by requirements of core common ground in the given language, in intercultural encounters this ‘flesh building’ process in the target language (in this case English) is not set but is co-constructed by the interlocutors as emergent common ground relying on their prior experience with their own L1 culture, limited experience with the target culture and the assessment of the actual situational context. In this study the co-construction process, i.e. emergent common ground will be analyzed by examining the use of formulaic language and freely generated language in several discourse segments.

Error Analysis for English Language Teachingat Primary Level

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Dr. Shreeja Sharma ◽  
Prof. Shubhra Tripathi
Keyword(s):  
Error Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Primary Level ◽  
Indian Schools ◽  
Prime Concern ◽  
School Teaching ◽  
Linguistic Code ◽  
Global Language

The prime concern of every language teacher, and to some extent every linguist, is to device pedagogical methods and strategies which facilitate language acquisition. The concern of any teacher or applied linguist is, though not explicitly stated anywhere, to equip the learners with “correct” features of the language being learnt. Emphasis on “correctness” is due to the presumption that erroneous structures or deviations from linguistic code will lead to incomprehensibility and impediment in communication.As a result of such convictionsContrastive Analysis (CA) and Error Analysis (EA) focussed their attention on “correct” grammatical, lexical and syntactical features of Target Language (TL), in this case English.Both  Contrastive Analysts and Error Analysts analysed the language and tried to predict areas of ease or difficulty. This was often achieved with ‘some’ degree of success. However, in the present socio-educational milieu of Indian schools, where English language teaching is a significant stake, insights from CA and EA, particularly the latter, are either not taken into cognizance, or found inadequate. CA is taken into consideration, though obliquely, indirectly and cursorily, where English language is taught resorting to bilingualism. EA is usually ignored completely. Even when teachers correct students’ assignments and copies, they point out mistakes/errors, suggest corrections, but neither take into account why these mistakes/errors have occurred, nor how to prevent such cases in future. With the ever growing importance of English as a global language and a second language in India, no stakeholder in education can afford to undermine the significance of ELT.The time is therefore ripe to take a fresh look at Error Analysis (EA) and assess how it can be deployed as a powerful tool in school teaching.

scholarly journals A Pragmatic Study on Teachers’ Feedback in EFL Classroom in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Ying Liu ◽  
Xin Liu ◽  
Yibei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Classroom Teaching ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Learning Efficiency ◽  
Communicative Process ◽  
Pragmatic Strategies ◽  
Pragmatic Study ◽  
Interactive Discourse

EFL classroom teaching in China, no matter whether it is traditional one or a flipped one, is a dynamic communicative process by using English with the aim of learning it. The interactive discourse between the teacher and the student has its own pragmatic functions, especially the feedback given by the teachers which may influence the teaching and learning efficiency. In order to provide appropriate investigation resources, a corpus of 128,223 words with 36.65 hour-2199 minute real audiovisual college EFL classroom teaching transcripts is built. Taking the data of the resources as supporting evidence, this paper analyzes the pragmatic functions of EFL classroom feedback discourse, and proposes certain pragmatic strategies of increasing interactivity, which has certain pedagogical implications for EFL classroom teaching. 

Cross-Cultural and Intercultural Pragmatics

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Istvan Kecskes
Keyword(s):  
Speech Acts ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Communicative Process ◽  
First Languages ◽  
Intercultural Pragmatics ◽  
Intercultural Interactions ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
Cultural Pragmatics

This chapter discusses the differences between cross-cultural and intercultural pragmatics. While cross-cultural pragmatics compares different cultures, based on the investigation of certain aspects of language use, such as speech acts, behaviour patterns, and language behaviour, intercultural pragmatics focuses on intercultural interactions and investigates the nature of the communicative process among people from different cultures, speaking different first languages. Cross-cultural pragmatics analyses the differences and similarities in the language behaviour of people representing different languages and cultures. Intercultural pragmatics, however—a relatively new discipline—is interested in what happens when representatives of different first languages and cultures communicate using a common language.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Strategies for Decreasing Students’ Anxiety Levels to Improve Their Communicative Skills

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Takako Inada
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Language Classroom

Students’ high levels of foreign-language classroom anxiety (FLCA) are reported to have a negative impact on their target language performance in classrooms. There are some anxiety studies from the students' perspective in the existing literature, but few from the teachers' perspective, particularly in Japan. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate how teachers managed students' levels of anxiety, which may lead to an improvement in their communication skills. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with six teachers. Various strategies that teachers could use to decrease students’ levels of anxiety were introduced. In communicative lessons, students need to practice speaking and listening in class as much as possible to improve these skills in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Therefore, teachers should use various methods to increase the opportunities for students to speak a target language in class, and to create an unthreatening classroom environment in which students can speak without hesitation. In addition, teachers could use group dynamics effectively to ensure seamless classroom management.

scholarly journals Speech Act (Im)Politeness and Audiovisual Constraints in Translation for Dubbing

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-46
Author(s):  
Vittorio Napoli
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Original Film ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Version ◽  
Modification Process ◽  
Audiovisual Translation ◽  
Linguistic Modification ◽  
Pragmatic Strategies

The present article sets out to explore the under-researched relationship between linguistic (im)politeness and audiovisual translation, by taking the speech act of requests as object of analysis in English films and in their dubbed Italian versions. As dubbing constraints often lead translators to depart substantially from the original utterance, the study shows how linguistic changes can result in alterations of the (im)polite load inherent in the requests from original film versions. The study focuses on pragmatic strategies for realizing requests in English film dialogues and shows that dubbing constraints may underlie the adoption of different pragmatic strategies for the requests of target-language dialogues. The (im)politeness shifts that this linguistic modification process entails may make the same character come across as more or less (im)polite in the target-language version and are, for this reason, worth investigating.

scholarly journals Willingness to Communicate in English among non-English Major Malaysian Undergraduates

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Siti Bahirah Saidi
Keyword(s):  
Great Emphasis ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Dynamic Variable ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
English Major

Current policies to second language teaching (L2) put great emphasis on improving the communicative skills of the learners. Teachers, however, found that some learners avoid L2 communication despite their excellent proficiency level in the target language.  The literature on learners' reticence highlights the considerable number of studies available on willingness to communicate (WTC). However, most of the studies were conducted in the contexts that bear little resemblance to a multicultural Malaysia. The present study aimed to explore how interlocutors and contexts contribute to the participants' WTC level. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews (n = 14). The findings revealed that the participants' WTC fluctuate across interlocutors and contexts. The evidence from the current findings confirms the notion that WTC is a dynamic variable. However, the present data offers an alternative view concerning fluctuation across interlocutors. The paper concludes with pedagogical implications

scholarly journals Deconstructing the Bully and Victim Dichotomy

2010 ◽  
Vol IV (2) ◽  
pp. 22-43
Author(s):  
Eucharia Donnery
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
English Education ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
University Student ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Process Drama ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
Japanese University ◽  
Test Taking

Although steps have been taken to address the issue of ijime or bullying, it remains is a serious social problem within the Japanese educational system. The main focus of this pilot study was to ascertain how beneficial process drama could be in developing oral communicative skills in the target language of English as well as to build social awareness through the deconstruction of the bully and victim dichotomy. Process drama in language acquisition is unique in its aim to fuse language learning and personal development. The average Japanese university student has had six years of compulsory English education, with an emphasis on grammar-translation and accuracy. This means that, while the average student excels at translation and test-taking, s/he has had little experience with communicative English and has no sense of ownership of the language. Because of this lack of oral communicative skills, process drama is an ideal means to build the bridge to communicative competence. This paper is part of a larger tri-semester process drama project and the data accumulated from all three will be used as evidence in a final PhD dissertation. Although steps have been taken to address the issue of ijime or bullying, it remains is a serious social problem within the Japanese educational system. The main focus of this pilot study was to ascertain how beneficial process drama could be in developing oral communicative skills in the target language of English as well as to build social awareness through the deconstruction of the bully and victim dichotomy. Process drama in language acquisition is unique in its aim to fuse language learning and personal development. The average Japanese university student has had six years of compulsory English education, with an emphasis on grammar-translation and accuracy. This means that, while the average student excels at translation and test-taking, s/he has had little experience with communicative English and has no sense of ownership of the language. Because of this lack of oral communicative skills, process drama is an ideal means to build the bridge to communicative competence. This paper is part of a larger tri-semester process drama project and the data accumulated from all three will be used as evidence in a final PhD dissertation.

scholarly journals The development of students’ sociocultural competence in English at linguistic higher educational institutions

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Behavior ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
Social Settings ◽  
Approach To Teaching ◽  
Main Components

The article deals with the problem of teaching sociocultural competence in the target language to students learning English for professional purposes. The point of the issue is that the most effective way of teaching creative, culturally determined social communication in the target language a more fruitful approach to teaching a sociocultural competence is based on taking into account the linguistic, speech, psychological and psycholinguistic difficulties experienced by Azerbaijani students who learn English for developing communicative purposes. Language learners’ attention should be concentrated on similarities and differences between two cultures and dynamic nature of social interaction. Teaching should be done to master language university students’ sociocultural skills in productive communicative skills. The teacher’s role will be to encourage and facilitate the application of individual learning in social settings, bringing groups of learners together to put them through their paces. One of the main components of a communicative competence as well as linguistic, discursive and strategic competences is a sociocultural competence. It should be noted that the formation of the sociocultural competence implies with the formation of verbal behavior norms, non-verbal behavior norms are adopted among the native speakers. One of the significant factors contributing to the success of communication is the use of participants of the target language. It should be noted that today at all stages of teaching English as a specialty the main attention is traditionally focused on teaching the language system despite the urgency and importance of the problem of the sociocultural component formation of the communicative competence.

scholarly journals CULTURE, RELIGION, AND ENGLISH TEACHERS’ CONTRIBUTION IN INDONESIA

Al-Albab ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andini Linarsih
Keyword(s):  
Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Student Culture ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
Source Language ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking ◽  
English Competence ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers ◽  
Language Teaching Methods

As culture and religion are indispensable part of the Indonesian society, understanding students’ cultural and religious background constitutes one of the important factors in the success of foreign language teaching, particularly English. Non-native English speaking teachers can improve students’ English competence because they are capable of bridging the cultural and religious differences between the source language and the target language as well as providing an easy-to-understand explanation regarding the vocabulary and grammatical aspects of the source language. In addition, they can better understand the students’ needs and design a more realistic syllabus to overcome students’ language barriers. However, the role of native English speaking teachers (NESTs) can also fill the weaknesses Non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) face in increasing the communicative competence. Therefore, better instruction is not merely related to the native or non native concepts. It lies on the personal qualities of the teachers to apply proper language teaching methods to boost students’ communicative skills. Keywords: Native English Speaking Teachers (NESTs), Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs), Student, Culture, Religion.

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