Overcoming misunderstandings in intercultural

communication

PragmalinguisticSociopragmatic(based on Leech’s (1983) and Thomas’s (1983) division into pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic failure)

Pragmalinguistic competence refers to the ability to use routine expressions to perform language functions in social situations, e.g. (I beg your) pardon (formal), Sorry (informal)

(to ask for repetition)

That is, pragmalinguistic failure means lack of appropriate knowledge, e.g. not knowing target language conventional forms.

Such failure may lead to a misunderstanding, if somebody says Please instead of Thank you, but it is relatively less serious because more easily detected.

If I do not know how to say Sorry, I can make a gesture indicating impaired hearing.

Sociopragmatic misunderstandings are much more serious because they may not be easily detected and repaired.

Why?

Because it is not enough to know conventional linguistic forms to perform particular social functions.

It is also necessary to be aware of the cultural norms, values and beliefs underlying them, also those grounded in the past.

Every language has a repertoire of more formal and more informal expressions, which are used in given social situations to perform various functions (e.g. apology, request, asking permission etc.)

Also forms of address, greetings etc.

Their level of formality, politeness etc. reflect sociocultural processes underlying them, also political changes.

E.g. In Poland even Communism did not manage to uproot deeply ingrained forms of polite address (Pan, Pani = ‘you’ with reference to an unknown, older person, meaning

originally ‘lord, lady’)

They are more easily understood if we know about their historical background.

Other examples: greeting forms with reference to God, in contemporary Polish used when addressing priests, nuns, etc. Szczęść Boże [let God give you happiness]

Obviously, conventional expressions change with time, e.g. in Poland, in order to ask for repetition, we used to say przepraszam [sorry],

However, nowadays to ask for repetition young people say jeszcze raz [once again]

The more polite form indicating apology for having not heard properly what somebody has said, has been replaced by an imperative form requesting repetition.

◦Competent target language speakers are usually aware of the variations in the level of formality, e.g. in the forms of address dependent on the social status and age of the interlocutor

However, they may not be aware of the differences between their own culture and target language culture.

They may assume that their norms are universal.

This is the main source of sociopragmatic misunderstandings.

Sociopragmatic competence refers to the ability to comply with cultural norms of the target language community.

Nice dress/Thank you Interpretation (Eng.)Appreciating the compliment (positive)

(Pol.) Boasting (negative)

(Pol.)Ładna sukienka/Kupiłam za 5 złotych [ Nice dress/ I’ve bought it for one euro]

Interpretation (Pol.)Depreciating the complimented object (positive)

(Eng.)Depreciating the compliment (negative)

Using awareness-raising tasks concerning conventions (pragmalinguistic competence) and speech acts behind them connected with the underlying culture (sociopragmatic competence)

E.g. TASK: How to express refusals in L1 and L2?

What would you say in English (L2) and in Polish(L1) if a friend of yours asked you to go on a trip and you didn’t feel like going because you didn’t like some people who were going on that trip.

In Polish: Wiesz, nie mogę.(Direct refusal) Jestem bardzo zajęta. (Vague account) Dzięki za zaproszenie (Gratitude).

In English: Oh, I wish I could (Positive opinion), but I have so much homework to do. (Specific account) Thanks for inviting me. (Gratitude) Hope you’ll

have a good time. (Good wish)

Direct translation of the Polish version into into English does not sound very polite:

You know, I can’t. I’m very busy. Thanks for inviting me.

Direct translation of the English version into Polish sounds too elaborate.

Polish learners of English may seem offhand and even impolite to English native speakers.

English speakers of Polish may seem too elaborate and effusive to Polish native speakers.

The inherent danger is that at an advanced level of grammatical competence sociopragmatic errors are not treated like errors but as impoliteness, strange behaviour etc.

Most importantly, Teaching explicitly about intercultural differences (e.g. beliefs, norms, values) as well as about historical background of those beliefs and values,

linking it with appropriate conventional expressions.

Additionally,Role-playing and retrospectively reflecting on the choice of target language phrases

Using translation and re-translation (as in the example above)

Pairing students with chat/pen-pals through the Internet to engage them in frequent personal exchanges.

Increasing pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic competence

Raising awareness of the historical and cultural foundations and connections of lexicon in European languages

Ways of expressing language functions in different languages/cultures

Politeness as a linguistic and cultural phenomenon

Words and their meanings in different European languages

Verbal and non-verbal communication in different cultures

Ability to identify and analyse language functions

Ability to express different levels of formality and politeness

Ability to identify sources of misunderstandings in intercultural communication

Kondo, S. ”Effects on pragmatic development through awareness-raising instruction: Refusals by Japanese EFL learners” . In Alcon Soler, E., Martinez-Flor, A. (eds.) Investigating pragmatics in foreign language learning, teaching and testing. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. 153-177.

Leech, G. (1983).The Principles of Pragmatics. London: Longman.

Thomas, J. (1983). ”Cross-cultural pragmatic failure”. Applied Linguistics 4, 91-112.

Thank you for your attention!