scholarly journals Political Correctness – Maintaining a Balanced View

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-59
Author(s):  
Bisera Plančić ◽  
Željka Zanchi ◽  
Mirna Čudić
Keyword(s):  
Political Correctness ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Freedom Of Speech ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Political Control ◽  
Cultural Setting ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

The paper deals with the concept of the so-called 'political correctness', primarily with regard to how it affects the language, particularly that of the non-native speakers of English, who may sometimes not be sufficiently aware of the sensitivity of the issue in the target language, frequently not nearly as pronounced in their own society and cultural setting. Not surprisingly, 'political correctness' has over the years caused a lot of heated argument and has divided people, not only linguists, into its ardent supporters and detractors. While the former defend it on the grounds that it can effectively combat intolerance, prejudice and injustice, the latter object to it as merely an instrument of political control and manipulation and an impediment to the freedom of speech. They base their argument on the fact that things are sometimes taken too far, many expressions already accepted or suggested as 'politically correct' sounding exaggerated, unnatural, and ridiculous. Furthermore, they argue that political correctness frequently obscures the meaning and is directed against clarity, thereby deteriorating the language. The authors therefore deem it necessary to highlight and explore the arguments of both sides, trying to propose the best ways of dealing with the issue, making all those concerned fully aware of the problem and its implications, at the same time striving to establish and maintain a balance.

scholarly journals On the Pedagogical Relevance of Strategic Competence

1986 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahereh Paribakht
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Negotiation Of Meaning ◽  
Identification Task ◽  
Strategic Competence ◽  
Adult Esl ◽  
Communication Situations ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Linguistic Material

This paper is a report on a study concerned with the identification of target language linguistic material essential for the learners' use of communication strategies (CS) in survival situations. Subjects were 40 adult ESL students and 20 native speakers of English. A concept-identification task was used to elicit these speakers' CS. Given that the taxonomy of CS developed in the study was based on the type of knowledge utilized by the speakers, it was possible to identify the semantic, as well as the typical syntactic patterns, required for their implementation. These linguistic manifestations of CS can serve as a basis for developing L2 teaching materials with the aim of preparing L2 learners to function successfully in problematic communication situations. An appropriate sequence for the presentation of such material is proposed based on the frequency of their application in the negotiation of meaning by the speakers in this study.

The acquisition of relative clauses by Spanish-Basque learners of L3 English: does dominance play a role?

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Ramos Feijoo ◽  
María del Pilar García Mayo
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Syntactic Features ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

Abstract Several studies in the area of third language acquisition (L3A) have considered various factors influencing this process, but the effect of language dominance has not been thoroughly examined. The main goal of this study is to investigate whether the acquisition of relative clauses (RCs) in L3 English is influenced by language internal factors, such as the syntactic features of the target language, or by external factors in the form of cross-linguistic influence (CLI). A total of 90 participants (40 Spanish-dominant, 40 Basque-dominant, 10 L1 Spanish-L2 English) and 10 native speakers of English completed a production and a comprehension task. Findings show that the L3 learners’ production of RCs seems to be driven by language internal factors, whereas their comprehension appears to be influenced by their previously acquired languages, mainly by Spanish. It is concluded that neither language dominance nor other traditionally considered factors play a determinant role in the acquisition of RCs in L3 English by these participants.

Requests by Chinese EFL learners and native speakers of English

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Meng ◽  
Beatrice Szczepek Reed
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Interactional Competence ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Study Abroad Students ◽  
At Home

Language learners' requesting behaviour has been the focus of pragmatic research for some time, including that of Chinese EFL learners, who constitute a large proportion of English speakers globally. The present study replicates elements of Wang (2011), focusing on the use of formulaic expressions and exploring the differences between advanced Chinese EFL learners and native speakers of English with regard to the use of request formulae. The study also investigates whether significant exposure to the target language in country is connected to a more native-like use of request formulae. Wang's Discourse Completion Task was adopted to elicit request utterances from three groups of participants: advanced Chinese EFL learners studying in China (at home students) and in the UK (study abroad students), respectively, and native speakers of British English. The findings show that, although in some respects study abroad students in the UK employed request formulae in a more native-like manner compared to at home students in China, neither group showed close approximation to the request behaviour of the native speaker group. The findings are discussed in the context of current debates, including interlanguage variations, interactional competence, and native speaker norms and intelligibility.

scholarly journals Improving non-native English students' communicative competence and collaboration skills through Virtual Simulations

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Alisa Sadiku
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Virtual Simulations ◽  
Authentic Environment ◽  
Collaborative Skills ◽  
English Students

Knowing how to communicate in the target language is the main goal of most language learners. Furthermore, it is very challenging for teachers to bring real world communication experiences in classroom settings where English is not the native language. Hence, in this paper I explore the role of virtual simulations in promoting communicational and collaboration opportunities to non-native speakers of English. In my research, I describe how virtual worlds improve communicative and collaborative skills of non-native speakers of English. Moreover, I investigate how virtual worlds can create a learner centered environment where students take control of their own language production. And third, I explore how the affordances of virtual worlds can enhance non-native English students’ communication and collaboration by engaging them in contextual and authentic environment.

scholarly journals An Interlanguage Study of Thai EFL Learners’ Apology

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Boonjeera Chiravate
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Cultural Background ◽  
Target Language ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Pragmatic Development ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Low Exposure

Although a number of interlanguage studies on apologies have been conducted, there has been no study of apologies among Thai EFL learners that differentiates between learners with high and low levels of exposure to the target language. This study, differentiating between learners with high and low levels of exposure to the target language, addresses two research questions: (i) What are the similarities and differences between perception of offense context of Thai EFL learners and native speakers of English? (ii) What are the similarities and differences between apology strategies used by Thai EFL learners and native speakers of English? Data for the analysis came from a questionnaire consisting of 12 scenarios eliciting different offense contexts. The participants were divided into four groups: native speakers of English (NEs), native speakers of Thai (NTs), Thai EFL learners with high exposure to the target language (TEHs) and Thai EFL learners with low exposure to the target language (TELs). The results revealed that due to the influence of cultural background, the learners’ perception of offense context was dissimilar to the NEs in certain respects. However, the investigation of apology strategies showed that compared to the TELs, the TEHs’ apology strategies tended to be less influenced by their cultural background and more similar to the NEs’. Providing support for levels of exposure to the target language, as individual differences vary in L2 pragmatic development, the study sheds light on pedagogical intervention that may enhance learners’ pragmatic competence.

Politeness Strategies and Second Language Acquisition

1982 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigenori Tanaka ◽  
Saiki Kawade
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Theoretical Point ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
English Sentence ◽  
Politeness Strategies ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Nonnative Speakers Of English

The two studies reported here investigated the notion ofpolitenessas perceived by native speakers of English and advanced learners of English. The questions which concerned us included: (1) Are native speakers of English really aware of the varying degree of politeness conveyed by a given English sentence?; (2) Is there a high correlation between native speakers of English and advanced learners of English in their politeness judgements?; (3) Do native speakers of English really use different politeness strategies in different situations?; (4) Is there a high correlation between native and nonnative speakers of English in the use of politeness strategies? From a theoretical point of view, Study I was concerned with Lakoff's (1973b) claim that politeness increases with decreasing imposition; Study II was concerned with the distance-politeness hypothesis which predicts that one will use polite strategies in situations where he perceives himself as psychological and/or socially distant from his addresee. From a pedagogical point of view, the comparison of the two studies here suggested that the learner's ability ofjudgingpoliteness in the target language does not necessarily mean that he canusepoliteness strategies appropriately in actual communication situations.

scholarly journals Pragma-linguistic and Socio-pragmatic Transfer among Iraqi Female EFL Learners in Refusing Marriage Proposals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabarek Ali Qassim ◽  
Nawal Fadhil Abbas ◽  
Fatima Falih Ahmed ◽  
Sura Hameed
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Slight Variation ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Pragmatic Transfer ◽  
Lower Status ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Linguistic Transfer ◽  
Refusal Strategies

In the framework of this study, the phenomenon of transfer is probed pragma-linguistically and socio-linguistically concerning marriage situations among Iraqi EFL learners. The study also strives to look at the refusal strategies most commonly employed by Iraqi female English as a foreign Language (EFL) learners compared to their counterparts, American native speakers of English. The study involved 70 female participants who answered a Discourse Completion Task (DCT), which contained ten marriage proposals to be refused. Each situation entailed refusal of a person from a higher, an equal, and lower status. The researchers adapted Beebe, Takahashi, and Uliss Weltz’s (1990) taxonomy of refusal for analyzing the data comprehensively. The study’s findings indicated that Iraqi female EFL learners followed similar patterns of refusing marriage situations to American speakers. The most prevalent strategies used by the two groups were “reasons/ excuses and explanations,” followed by “statements of regrets,” and then “non-performative statements” with slight variation in frequency. However, the Iraqi learners’ native language and culture affected how they formulated their refusal; hence they manifested pragma-linguistic and socio-pragmatic transfer in particular areas. The areas of pragma-linguistic transfer included the literal translation of words, expressions, and structures into their refusal in English. As for the socio-pragmatic areas, the transfer occurred in certain Arabic culture features like elaboration, exaggeration, repetition, endearing terms, and many others in expressing the target language, English.

scholarly journals The Use of Introspection in the Study of Problems Relating to Interpretation from Japanese to English

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 367-381
Author(s):  
Ng Bee Chin ◽  
Yasuko Obana
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Japanese English

Abstract Introspection has been used widely to study translation processes in Indo-Europeon languages. In this study, the method of introspection was adapted to study interpretation processes in Japanese-English interpretation. Seven native speakers of English with varying levels of competence in Japanese-English interpretation skills took part in this study. The results indicate that rather than vocabulary, a better knowledge of argument and structure of the target language is essential for proficient interpreting. This is especially crucial when the topic of interpretation calls for the use of formal Japanese, as in the case of this study. As Japanese is a language which is characterized by the use of different registers and styles for different occasions, the findings of this study suggest that in the context of conference interpreting, student interpreters could benefit from increased exposure to the use of formal Japanese.

scholarly journals Pragma-linguistic and Socio-pragmatic Transfer among Iraqi Female EFL Learners in Refusing Marriage Proposals

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 521-539
Author(s):  
Tabarek Ali Qassim ◽  
Nawal Fadhel Abbas ◽  
Fatima Falih Ahmed ◽  
Sura Hameed
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Slight Variation ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Pragmatic Transfer ◽  
Lower Status ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Linguistic Transfer ◽  
Refusal Strategies

In the framework of this study, the phenomenon of transfer is probed pragma-linguistically and socio-linguistically concerning marriage situations among Iraqi EFL learners. The study also strives to look at the refusal strategies most commonly employed by Iraqi female English as a foreign Language (EFL) learners compared to their counterparts, American native speakers of English. The study involved 70 female participants who answered a Discourse Completion Task (DCT), which contained ten marriage proposals to be refused. Each situation entailed refusal of a person from a higher, an equal, and lower status. The researchers adapted Beebe, Takahashi, and Uliss Weltz’s (1990) taxonomy of refusal for analyzing the data comprehensively. The study’s findings indicated that Iraqi female EFL learners followed similar patterns of refusing marriage situations to American speakers. The most prevalent strategies used by the two groups were “reasons/ excuses and explanations,” followed by “statements of regrets,” and then “non-performative statements” with slight variation in frequency. However, the Iraqi learners’ native language and culture affected how they formulated their refusal; hence they manifested pragma-linguistic and socio-pragmatic transfer in particular areas. The areas of pragma-linguistic transfer included the literal translation of words, expressions, and structures into their refusal in English. As for the socio-pragmatic areas, the transfer occurred in certain Arabic culture features like elaboration, exaggeration, repetition, endearing terms, and many others in expressing the target language, English.

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