LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 21:12 December 2021
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

Celebrate India!
Unity in Diversity!!

HOME PAGE

Click Here for Back Issues of Language in India - From 2001

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND DOWNLOAD FREE!

REFERENCE MATERIALS

BACK ISSUES

  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports in Microsoft Word to languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.

  • PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES GIVEN IN HOME PAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIST OF CONTENTS.

  • Your articles and book-length reports should be written following the APA, MLA, LSA, or IJDL Stylesheet.

  • The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

Copyright © 2021
M. S. Thirumalai

Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
11249 Oregon Circle
Bloomington, MN 55438
USA
Custom Search

Using Conversations as Pedagogical Tools for
Teaching Cross-Cultural Competence to
English Language Students: Focus on Speech Acts

Professor Maya Khemlani David
Ameer Ali, Researcher

Abstract

This research discusses the importance of developing cross-cultural competence among students of English language. It is argued that examples taken from real life conversations enacted in different contexts can be used as pedagogical material to teach students of English how the use of speech acts varies from one cultural context to another cultural context. Understanding this difference can help encourage mutual understanding and mutual respect between interlocutors coming from different cultural contexts. In this research, data were collected from real life conversations enacted in different Asian contexts. Qualitative analysis of the collected data showed that socio-cultural norms affect the way language speakers speak and write language in a wide range of contexts. It is suggested that dialogue-based language input of speech acts taken from real life examples can help students of English understand the importance of socio-cultural context in which speech acts are embedded.

Keywords: Asian, conversations, competence, cross-cultural, cultural, English, pedagogical, teach

Introduction

Learning a language typically focusses on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation to develop reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. However, one of the reasons for learning a language is to communicate with people and how to use words or structures in different contexts at different times (Byram, 2013). This means that language is learned when speakers can use the language APPROPRIATELY (our emphasis) in different contexts (Austin, 2005) and with different people and understand the underlying meaning beyond the text. Understanding the meaning is sometimes accompanied by cultural understanding and using culturally appropriate language can help maintain communication without inter-cultural differences and conflicts. According to Byram (2013), apart from linguistic competence, intercultural competence makes communication flow smoothly.

Communication is anchored by the interlocutors’ physical and cultural contexts. This shows that communication can be culturally situated (Clark and Ivaniè, 1991):

“... language forms cannot be considered independently of the ways they are used to communicate in context. Further, individual acts of communication in context cannot be considered independently of the social forces which have set up the conventions of appropriacy for that context” (p. 170).

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Professor Maya Khemlani David
Honorary Professor
Asia-Europe Institute
University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
mayadavid@yahoo.com

Ameer Ali
Researcher
Institute of English Language and Literature
University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
ameer7037@gmail.com
Custom Search
  • Click Here to Go to Creative Writing Section

  • Send your articles
    as an attachment
    to your e-mail to
    languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • Please ensure that your name, academic degrees, institutional affiliation and institutional address, and your e-mail address are all given in the first page of your article. Also include a declaration that your article or work submitted for publication in LANGUAGE IN INDIA is an original work by you and that you have duly acknowledged the work or works of others you used in writing your articles, etc. Remember that by maintaining academic integrity we not only do the right thing but also help the growth, development and recognition of Indian/South Asian scholarship.