The issue of intercultural awareness in education has become recently debatable between the researchers, authors and Discourse analysts in the last few decades as a result of its importance in all forms of education for a better future. This led to that the year of 2008 to be the European year of intercultural dialogue.
Based on the debate between the researchers that acquiring English does not have to be separated from acquiring the culture that it formulates, this paper analyzes the spoken discourses between people belong to different contexts to emphasize on the importance of including intercultural competence in the educational pedagogy and the problems that could occur in its absence.
Table of Contents
1 Background of the Study
1.1 Introduction
1.2 A rationale for the choice of topic
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Significance of the Study
1.5 Questions of the study
2 Literature Review
2.1 Intercultural competence(ICC), Discourse and pragmatic competence
2.2 Cultural studies and Discourse analysis
3 Methodology
4 Data analysis of spoken discourse
4.1 Cultural words
4.2 Sentence level
4.3 Discourse level
4.4 Intonation
5 Discussion
6 Pedagogical implications
7 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Themes
The primary objective of this research is to analyze instances of pragmatic failure in intercultural communication within educational settings. The study explores how linguistic proficiency does not guarantee communicative success when cultural norms and expectations differ between speakers, thereby necessitating a shift from simple cultural awareness to deeper intercultural competence.
- The importance of intercultural awareness in English pedagogy.
- Analysis of pragmatic failure across lexical, sentence, discourse, and intonation levels.
- Defining the relationship between discourse analysis and cultural competence.
- Recommending pedagogical strategies to mitigate cross-cultural misunderstandings.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1. Cultural words
Words do not only have linguistic meaning but also have cultural meaning. The cultural meaning of the word subsumes under the cultural background of the participants in a conversation. If the participants come from different cultural backgrounds, pragmatic failure will take place. That will be seen in the following short conversation between an Egyptian and American working together in Egypt.
1 John: Hi
2 Hasina: Hello
3 John: How are you today?
4 Hasina: very tired.
5 John : Why?
6 Hasina: yesterday, I worked here in the office until night.
7 John: It seems like you are a dog to the company.
8 (Hasina left him without saying any word).
Here is this conversation; in line 8 Hasina did not continue the conversation because she considered John insulting her due to the word “dog” in line 7. In Egyptian culture, “dog” means an insult to the human being, so she felt scolded when he described her with the word “dog”, however, Johan did not mean to insult Hasina but praising her because the word dog in the American culture means loyalty and faith. Here in this conversation, although the word is correct linguistically, pragmatic failure happened because of misinterpreting the word meaning according to the different use of the word in each culture.
Summary of Chapters
1 Background of the Study: Introduces the growing need for intercultural awareness in education and provides a rationale for analyzing spoken discourse to address pragmatic failures.
2 Literature Review: Examines theoretical frameworks including Hymes' communicative competence, the SPEAKING model, and various perspectives on cultural studies and discourse analysis.
3 Methodology: Details the approach of using anecdotal data from real-life situations to analyze spoken discourse through the lens of cultural and pragmatic factors.
4 Data analysis of spoken discourse: Provides a practical breakdown of how pragmatic failure manifests through cultural words, sentence structures, discourse levels, and intonation patterns.
5 Discussion: Synthesizes the findings, highlighting the concept of 'tissue rejection' in intercultural communication and the necessity for educators to foster intercultural competence.
6 Pedagogical implications: Offers specific strategies for teachers, students, and policymakers to integrate intercultural competence into classroom practices and avoid communicative breakdowns.
7 Conclusion: Summarizes the necessity of moving toward intercultural awareness in a globalized world to ensure effective communication beyond linguistic correctness.
Keywords
Intercultural Competence, Pragmatic Failure, Discourse Analysis, Spoken Discourse, Cultural Awareness, Pedagogical Implications, Communicative Competence, Cross-Cultural Communication, English Pedagogy, Sociolinguistics, Linguistic Proficiency, Cultural Norms, Pragmatics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work examines why communication can fail even when participants are linguistically proficient, specifically focusing on pragmatic failures caused by differing cultural norms.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers intercultural communication, discourse analysis, the intersection of culture and language, and practical strategies for teaching and learning in diverse environments.
What is the main objective of the study?
The primary objective is to analyze spoken discourse to identify the causes of pragmatic failure and to provide recommendations for educators to better support intercultural competence.
Which scientific method is utilized in this paper?
The study employs a qualitative, analytical approach, examining anecdotal data from real-life interactions to illustrate how pragmatic failure occurs at different linguistic levels.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers theoretical literature on intercultural competence, detailed analysis of conversations (lexical, sentential, and discursive levels), and pedagogical implications for the classroom.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Intercultural Competence, Pragmatic Failure, Discourse Analysis, Spoken Discourse, and Cultural Awareness.
How does the author define 'tissue rejection' in communication?
Drawing on Holliday (1992), the author uses this medical metaphor to describe how a host might reject a message from a guest due to an underlying inconvenience or incompatibility between their cultural backgrounds.
Why does the author advocate for moving beyond 'cultural awareness'?
The author argues that while cultural awareness is a starting point, intercultural awareness is essential for flexible, real-time communication in unpredictable multicultural situations.
- Quote paper
- Elsayed Mahmoud (Author), 2016, Spoken Discourse analysis on pragmatic failure of Intercultural communication in higher education, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/343658
