Culture and its effect on speech act performance
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Ardith J. Meier
Abstract
The premise that underlying cultural values and beliefs play an important role in speech act performance as mediated by perceptions of context forms the foundation of this chapter. The relationship between culture, context, and speech act performance is explained. Where there is less overlap between interactants’ underlying cultural values and beliefs, misunderstandings are more apt to arise. In order to identify cross-cultural differences that have the potential to cause such misunderstandings, relevant speech act studies are presented and their findings examined in terms of cultural dimensions and orientations used as heuristic tools. It is argued that an awareness of underlying cultural variables and their potential influence on speech act performance will contribute to more effective negotiation of meaning and identity.
Abstract
The premise that underlying cultural values and beliefs play an important role in speech act performance as mediated by perceptions of context forms the foundation of this chapter. The relationship between culture, context, and speech act performance is explained. Where there is less overlap between interactants’ underlying cultural values and beliefs, misunderstandings are more apt to arise. In order to identify cross-cultural differences that have the potential to cause such misunderstandings, relevant speech act studies are presented and their findings examined in terms of cultural dimensions and orientations used as heuristic tools. It is argued that an awareness of underlying cultural variables and their potential influence on speech act performance will contribute to more effective negotiation of meaning and identity.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements ix
- List of contributors xi
- Preface xiii
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Section I. Theoretical groundings
- Pragmatics and speech act performance 3
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Section II. Empirical foundations
- The effect of individual-level variables on speech act performance 23
- Data collection methods in speech act performance 41
- Conversation analysis and speech act performance 57
- Culture and its effect on speech act performance 75
- Study abroad and its effect on speech act performance 91
- Speech act performance in workplace settings 109
- The effect of pragmatic instruction on speech act performance 127
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Section III. Methodological innovations
- Apologies 145
- Complaints 163
- Compliments and responses to compliments 179
- Disagreement 199
- Refusals 217
- Requests 237
- Suggestions 257
- Index 275
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements ix
- List of contributors xi
- Preface xiii
-
Section I. Theoretical groundings
- Pragmatics and speech act performance 3
-
Section II. Empirical foundations
- The effect of individual-level variables on speech act performance 23
- Data collection methods in speech act performance 41
- Conversation analysis and speech act performance 57
- Culture and its effect on speech act performance 75
- Study abroad and its effect on speech act performance 91
- Speech act performance in workplace settings 109
- The effect of pragmatic instruction on speech act performance 127
-
Section III. Methodological innovations
- Apologies 145
- Complaints 163
- Compliments and responses to compliments 179
- Disagreement 199
- Refusals 217
- Requests 237
- Suggestions 257
- Index 275
