Relationship between Cultural Distance and Pragmatic Comprehension

Vahid Rafieyan,Zahra Khavari,Lin Siew Eng,Ayoob Damavand,Maryam Sharafi-Nejad

doi:10.5539/elt.v7n2p103

Abstract

The distance between language learners’ culture and the culture of the target language community is considered to play a crucial role in determining the level of pragmatic comprehension. In this respect, a study was conducted over 30 German students, perceived as culturally close to the British, and 30 South Korean students, perceived as culturally distant from the British, studying English as a Foreign Language at a university in their home countries. Pragmatic comprehension ability was assessed through a 24-item multiple choice pragmatic comprehension test. The findings suggested the crucial role of cultural distance in pragmatic comprehension ability, that is, a shorter distance from the culture of the target language community led to a higher level of pragmatic comprehension. The pedagogical implications of the findings suggested the provision of opportunities for the students of English as a Foreign Language to be exposed to the culture of the target language community through cultural instruction, educational sojourn, or telecollaborative partnership.

Highlights

Culture, defined by the National Center for Cultural Competence as “integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thoughts, communications, languages, practices, beliefs, values, customs, courtesies, rituals, manners of interacting and roles, relationships and expected behaviors of a racial, ethnic, religious or social group; and the ability to transmit the above to succeeding generations” (Goode et al, 2000, p. 1), is an integral part of language
The findings suggested the crucial role of cultural distance in pragmatic comprehension ability, that is, a shorter distance from the culture of the target language community led to a higher level of pragmatic comprehension
The current study found that cultural distance plays a significant role in determining the level of pragmatic comprehension

Summary

Introduction

Culture, defined by the National Center for Cultural Competence as “integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thoughts, communications, languages, practices, beliefs, values, customs, courtesies, rituals, manners of interacting and roles, relationships and expected behaviors of a racial, ethnic, religious or social group; and the ability to transmit the above to succeeding generations” (Goode et al, 2000, p. 1), is an integral part of language. Language learners whose cultural beliefs, norms, and perspectives have the most similarities with the cultural beliefs, norms, and perspectives of the target language speakers are supposed to better comprehend the culture-specific pragmatic knowledge of the target language expressions and texts and to experience less communication failures in interactions with target language speakers than those language learners whose cultural beliefs, norms, and perspectives have the least similarities with the cultural beliefs, norms, and perspectives of the target language speakers. Considering this issue, the current study seeks to explore the role of cultural distance between the source and the target language communities in the language learners’ level of pragmatic comprehension

Results

Discussion

Conclusion