Keywords: cross-cultural communication, sociopragmatic failure culture

Abstract: Cross-cultural communication refers to the communication between any two people with different language and cultural backgrounds. In cross-cultural communication, due to the differences in cultural background, values and reasoning methods, it is easy to cause socio-pragmatic failures. By analyzing the causes of social pragmatic failure, this paper puts forward some suggestions for foreign language teaching.

1. Pragmatic failure in cross-cultural communication.

With the continuous expansion of cultural exchanges between China and the West, people pay more and more attention to cross-cultural communication. The so-called cross-cultural communication refers to the communication between native speakers and non-native speakers, and also refers to the communication between people with different language and cultural backgrounds.

British linguist Thomas (1983) divides pragmatic failures into two categories: one is the pragmatic failure of language itself, and the other is the social-pragmatic failure. Socio-pragmatic failure refers to the failure to understand the cultural background differences between the two parties in communication, which affects the choice of language forms. Pragmatic failure in cross-cultural communication is mainly social pragmatic failure, which is caused by different social and cultural rules, social distance and values.

Second, the main reasons for pragmatic failure.

Lack of language knowledge leads to pragmatic failure.

Language is the carrier of culture, and the great differences between Chinese and English cultures are bound to be manifested in language and language use. If foreign language users do not have a comprehensive grasp of the foreign language they speak, it is easy to simply transfer the corresponding word or structure from their mother tongue to the foreign language, resulting in corresponding mistakes, or use the word with little or no understanding of the meaning of the foreign language word.

"Of course" is a common phrase in English, which will cause different psychological reactions of listeners in different contexts. This is a common mistake made by students in China. For example, when a foreign guest asks you, "Is that the Great Wall Hotel?" If you answer "of course" without thinking, it will appear stiff, as if the questioner is ignorant and you are too lazy to answer.

(2) Lack of cultural knowledge leads to pragmatic failure.

China and English-speaking countries have different cultural origins and customs. Therefore, people in China and English-speaking countries have great differences in national psychology, way of thinking, values, codes of conduct and pragmatic principles. These factors all play a role in verbal communication to varying degrees.

Anglo-Americans believe that in daily communication, directly asking others about their economic income, age, religious and political beliefs, marital status, etc. is an infringement on individuals. In China culture, this information can generally be found directly, so there is no need to detour or avoid it. Although Chinese-speaking locals don't talk about personal savings casually, westerners are shy about it, which is a non-free topic.

(3) Different values lead to pragmatic failure.

People who use different languages see the world in different ways. People from different cultural backgrounds have different views on the same thing. Westerners pursue personal progress and attach importance to the realization of personal value. Therefore, they have high values about "change". In China culture, the concept of "change" is of low value. For example, when people meet a familiar person or an old man who is still strong, they always say, "You haven't changed at all, you are still the same." This is a compliment. It means that the listener will feel happy if the other person is always young or the old person is as healthy as ever. And say "you haven't changed much" to people in English-speaking countries. This is a pragmatic failure. Because in their ears, this sentence doesn't mean "compliment". "unchanged" and "the same as before" will only be understood as the other party's lack of progress, which is a derogatory to him.

Lack of contextual awareness leads to pragmatic failure.

If students rarely have the opportunity to acquire a language directly from the English environment, then after learning some English expressions, they are likely to learn to apply or even abuse the language patterns they have learned, regardless of whether it is appropriate or not. If we want to go to the train station, just say to the taxi driver, "please go to the train station!" " It's very suitable, without losing identity and courtesy. But the reality is that quite a few students say, "Excuse me, would you mind taking me to the railway station?" The reason is that the teacher says this sentence pattern is polite to ask for help from others. So they think they can use this security mode by asking others for help or asking others about the situation.

Third, strengthen cultural teaching and improve cross-cultural communication ability.

(A) the combination of language teaching and cultural teaching.

With the comprehensive and in-depth discussion of communicative approach in linguistics, a knowledge has been formed in the study of cross-cultural communication: language teaching can not only teach language, but also teach culture. Communicative competence is not only reflected in the correctness of grammar, but also in the appropriateness of language behavior. When learning a language, if you don't learn the cultural factors contained in the language and don't understand the social and cultural customs of using the language, it is impossible to use the language correctly in communication.

(B) Use various channels to enhance the sensitivity and understanding of the target language culture.

For foreign language learners, it is not enough to acquire foreign language cultural knowledge only by textbooks. In teaching practice, teachers should make full use of modern media such as pictures, projectors, English videos, English movies and DVDs. Through these objective and effective teaching methods, supplemented by a lot of extracurricular reading, foreign language learners can fully understand the cultural differences between China and the West. So as to know when, where, to whom and what to say, effectively avoid cultural interference in communication and enhance social and cultural ability.

Fourth, the conclusion.

There are many sociopragmatic failures in cross-cultural communication. Therefore, the study of social pragmatic failure is conducive to reducing pragmatic failure in cross-cultural communication and promoting the smooth progress of cross-cultural communication. By analyzing the causes of social pragmatic failure, we can see that there are many deep-seated reasons behind it, such as history, culture and values. Understanding and absorbing a large number of foreign cultures and strengthening the comparison between different cultures are effective ways to reduce socio-pragmatic failures in cross-cultural communication.

References:

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[2] He Ziran. Pragmatics and English learning [M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 1997.

[3] Huang Tian, Guo, Pragmatic failure in cross-cultural communication and its countermeasures [J]. Journal of Tianjin Foreign Studies University, 2002, (1)

[4] Meng Hong Party. Cross-cultural Pragmatic Failure and English Teaching [J]. journal of basic english education, 200 1, (3).

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