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Abstract: Through discussing how the Polite Principle rescues the Cooperative Principle in English and Chinese ,this thesis proves that PP is suitable both in English and Chinese .What’s more, Chinese people has the thoughts and tradition of politeness. However when Chinese people confront with English they are easy to fall into embarrassments. This thesis points out two reasons of pragmatic failure. One is the cultural difference and the different use of PP in Chinese and English. The other is the unsuitable education system and belief. Finally, this thesis proposes three kinds of methods: 1. The supplement of authentic material which can reduce inauthentic input, improve cultural awareness and stimulate learning motivation.2.Changing the classroom from the teachers’ arenas to students’ forums 3. Learning English on the internet.
Key words:PPcultural difference pragmatic failure authentic materialforum internet
Ⅰ、Introduction
1.1 The Cooperative Principle and the Polite Principle
“As a universal phenomenon, politeness is observed in every society, its main functions are maintaining social order; and misunderstandings by means of polite speech acts so as to attain the aim of communication.” (Li Tong, 2003:29)
In order to help people to avoid pragmatic failure and to maintain harmonious interpersonal relationship and facilitate successful communication, linguistics had been eager to search for useful and helpful principle.
Cooperative principle has been seen as a fundamental regulation of conversation and has been discussed for a long time since it was proposed by H.P.Grice in 1976. It is made up by four maxims cooperative principle (abbreviated: CP)which consists of four pragmatic sub-principles or “maxims”:1) Maxims of quantity2) Maxims of quality3) Maxims of relation4) Maxims of manner
Objectively speaking, Grice’s new theory-CP brings about a great development in the concept of conversational implication and has been attached great attention to the linguistic circle. Some critics set such high value up on the notion that they regard it as a breakthrough in pragmatics.
Whereas, there were objections to Grice’s CP on the grounds that it does not stand up to the evidence of real language use. So, Leech proposed another important principle-the polite principle which has been an important-starting for the argument.
He gave some explanation of why CP is needed and why it is not sufficient, as an explanation of the relation between sense and force. What’s more, he proposed that the PP is not a supplement of CP, but a rescue of the CP. According to Leech, the polite principle (abbreviated: CP) is divided into six sub-principles:1)Tact Maxim 2)Generosity Maxim 3)Approbation Maxim 4)Modesty Maxim 5)Agreement Maxim 6)Sympathy Maxim
In real life, if people only obey to CP, it is easy to produce misunderstandings which make the listeners feel that they lose face or don’t get enough respect and it is easy to let tellers and listeners relapse into embarrassment situation or even destroy their relationship. Under this situation, we need PP to change the embarrassment and create a harmony conversation environment. This paper will show how PP rescues CP in English and the importance of PP.
1.2 How the Polite Principle Rescues the Cooperative Principle in English
In the first instance, this thesis will through conversations between King Lear and hisdaughters to release how PP rescues CP in English (Form William Shakespeare’s famous work -King Lear).
The old king Lear wants to know how deeply his three draughts love him. So he orders them to use words to express their love. What’s more, he will accord to their words to distribute his property.
KING LEAR:
“Tell me, my daughters,Since now we will divest us both of rule,Interest of territory, cares of state,Which of you shall we say doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extendwhere nature doth with merit challenge. GONERIL :( the first daughter)
“Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter;Dear than eye-sight, space, and liberty;Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare……Beyond all manner of so much I love you.”
It is obvious that King Lear’s first daughter –Goneril violates the CP, She disobeys to the maxim of quality and the maxim of quantity. But she uses the PP properly .She uses the maxim of generosity: maximize cost to self and the maxim of approbation: maximize praise of other. She compliments and pleases his father through some encomiastic words (Dear than eye-sight, space, and liberty…).
Owing to the suitable use of PP, she gets his father’s trust and holds his father’ field
However, her little sister-Cordelia is a purity and innocent girl. Cordelia absolutely obeys to the maxim of quantity .she doesn’t say what she believes to be false, doesn’t say that for which she lack adequate evidence. She never flatters her father or magnifies her love .What she do is just uses the simplest words to express her true idea.
CORDELIA(the youngest daughter ):
Good my lord,……
Haply, when I shall wed,
That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry
Half my love with him, half my care and duty:
Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all.
KING LEAR; Let it be so; thy truth, then, be thy dower:
For, by the sacred radiance of the sun……
And as a stranger to my heart and me
Hold thee, from this, for ever.
Because Cordelia neglects the use the PP, her father misunderstands her and thinks that she doesn’t love him. The harmony relationship between them is destroyed.
From the example, it must be admitted that the CP is in a weak position if apparent exceptions to it can not be satisfactorily explained. It is for this reason that the PP can be seen not just as another principle to add to the CP, but as a necessary complement, which rescue the CP form serious trouble. What’s more, PP doesn’t only rescue CP in English but also in Chinese.
1.3 How the Polite Principle Rescues the Cooperative Principle in Chinese
EX.1晋国大夫董叔想娶范宣之女。叔向劝阻道：“范氏富，不如算了吧。”（《国语·晋语九》）
Mr. Dong Shu, a minister of ancient china, wants to marry the daughter of Mr. Fan Xuan. Mr.ShuXiang, one of Mr.DongShu’s friends, objects the marriage, because he thinks that Mr. Fan Xuan is not only wealthy but also peremptory and overbearing. If Mr. Dong Shu married Mr.FanXuan’s daughter, he would be ridden roughshod over. But Mr.Shu doesn’t express the true reason frankly, he just says Mr.FanShi is too rich .There is an old saying: the person who is rich is often proud and likes riding roughshod over others. Through praising the wealthy of Mr. Fan Xuan, Mr.DongShu indicates that Mr.DongShu will be teasedafter marriage, so it is better not to marry Mr.FanXuan’s daughter. It is obvious that Mr.DongShu violates the maxim of CP: the maxim of quantity. By contrast, he observes the maxim of PP. With the help of PP, Mr.DongShu can express his opinion and at the same time he needn’t criticize others frankly.
It is obvious that PP can rescue CP not only in English but also in Chinese. That means PP is suit to Chinese .That also means that Chinese people can use PP properly; they have a deep thought of politeness. Chinese hold the thoughts of politeness which roots in every Chinese heart form5 thoughts years ago .And they also know the importance of PP , they also usually use PP to rescue CP in Chinese
We all know, in a way, language is influenced by thoughts .But why Chinese people can use the pp in their mother tongue properly, when the face with English, they often produce misunderstand and relapse into embarrassments situation . This thesis will analyze the reasons and propose some ideals to solve this problem.
Ⅱ、The Reasons of Pragmatic Failure of Chinese
2.1. The Cultural Difference and the Different Use of PP in Chinese and English
The first reason that leads to pragmatic failure is the cultural difference and the difference use of PP in Chinese and English.
From the above examples we can see that there are some common points of Politeness Principle between English and Chinese. But because of the different culture backgrounds, English and Chinese people have different viewpoints on politeness. Therefore, when use Politeness Principle, they will have some differences. This thesis will then take the difference in Modesty Maxim for example.
It is universally accepted that to show modesty is a way to be polite, and Leech’s Modesty Maxim runs as “Minimize praise of self (Maximize dispraise of self)”. But how this maxim is adhered to in different cultures is very much a matter of degree. When being complimented, an English-speaking person would readily accept the compliment by saying something like “Thank you” to show his appreciation of the praise, but a Chinese speaker would try to deny the truth of the compliment. They both are being modest and they both think they are behaving properly. Yet either of them would think the other is being polite. For instance:
(1) A: Oh, how beautiful your dress is! B: Thank you.
(2)A: Your English is very good. B: Not at all. My English is very poor.
In (1) and (2) are the typical answers to praise of English and Chinese people. “The English speaker is being polite to the extent that by accepting and showing appreciation of the compliment; the Chinese speaker ignoring the factuality of the compliment paid to him. Because self-denigration has been at the core of the Chinese notion of politeness for over two thousand years, the Chinese in order to show modesty will go to such lengths as to underrate what he himself has achieved and deny the truth of a complimentary remark.” (He Zhaoxiong, 1995,)
So in intercultural communication, the cultural difference is one of important reasons which lead to pragmatic failures.
Culture Self-identity Maxim, and indicates that grammatical mistakes in intercultural communication can be forgiven, but improper use of language can often cause misunderstandings and embarrassments.
2.2 The unsuitable educational system and belief
The second reason that leads to pragmatic failure is the unsuitable educational system and belief.
The English examination for college entrance still has great influence on English teaching and learning in middle school and most college students are still studying English hard for CET-4, CET-6 and graduate examinations Their purposes of learning English are to pass the examinations .
What’s more ,in many middle schools and colleges of china, the purpose of English teaching is just to improve the students’ four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with the base of necessary phonetics, large vocabulary and good grammar. The knowledge, convincing-form, formation-mixture and understanding system are all neglected. To be sure, the four skills are very important, it is the foundation of mastering English. But this is not the final purpose. The final purpose is to lot let students be able to use the language. Why do we study English? It is true the ultimate purpose of learning English is to develop the communicative competence. If a man is only good at listening and speaking, can we say that he is good at English? No. If a man is only good at reading and writing, can we say that he is good at the language? No .If a student is really good at English; he should be able to use the language under proper situation, in the right time, in the right place, and to the right person.
So the major cause of influencing Chinese students’ communicative ability is the lack of cultural background knowledge, the differences of thinking modes and the unsuitable educational system.
“If we just learn the language material but do not know the cultural background, it shows that we only focus on the surface instead of understanding its spirit”[胡文仲, 1998: 4]This paper will finally points out how to through suitable teaching methods to enhance students’ background knowledge and model students’ English thinking. Consequently, promote the communicative ability of students. This thesis will provide 3 kinds of methods.
Ⅲ、 How to Solve the Problem of Pragmatic Failure
3.1 The Supplement of Authentic Material
3.1.1 Authenticity input
Input is sometimes called “reception” and output is sometimes called “production”. If there aren’t correct and impressing inputs, it is impossible for students to produce suitable and satisfactory output.So, in the process of learning English, the authentic input is very important .And the supplement of authentic material is a effective way to increase authentic input.
In china, although many students have acquired four skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing according to the demand of our traditional syllabus, they often make mistakes in application of language to real life, because our teaching and teaching materials attach importance to language forms but ignore the social meanings of language forms and language application in reality. We can see the following dialogues in many textbooks:
A: What’s your name?
B: My name is Li Hong.
A: How old are you?
B: I’m twenty.
A: Where do you come from?
B: I come from Nanjing.
2. A: Where are you going?
B: I’m going to the library.
3. A: Are you writing a letter to your parents?
B: Yes, I am.
A: How often do you write to your parents?
B: About oncea week.
All the above dialogues are roughly the combination of Chinese thinking and English form. Although such forms are correct, they are not appropriate. Except for hospitals, immigration offices and such places, it’s unimaginable for someone to ask a string of questions like “What’s your name?” “How old are you?” “Where do you come from?” the natural reflection of English-speaking people the greeting like: “Where are you going?” would mostly likely be “Why do you ask?” or “It’s none of your bossiness”. Questions like “Are you writing to your parents?” would be though to intrude one’s privacy. Our teaching material seldom pays attention to differences between cultures, so our students are usually ignorant of the factor of culture and they can only mechanically copy what they have learned.
So in language teaching, weshouldnot only pass on knowledge of language and train learners’ competence of utilizing language, but also enhance teaching of relative cultural backgroundknowledge.
3.1.2 Cultural awareness
What’s more, The authentic materials of English are rich and colorful which can include movies, TV, documents, sit-com ads ,newsbroadcasts, , photographs, magazines, newspapers, restaurant, menus, travel brochures, and other audio-visual or prints materials .
Using authentic sources form the native speech community is helps to engage students in authentic cultural experience. It is benefit for students to build up “cultural awareness”. Intercultural awareness, as a fundamental feature of language and an integral part of language, also important at all levels.
3.1.3 Motivation
Furthermore, authentic can stimulate the students’ interesting and motivation.
Motivation refers to the inner drive, impulse, emotion, or desire that moves one to a particular action. Or in more technical terms, motivation refers to “the choice people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach or avoid and the degree of effort they will exert in that respect” (Brown 2002).Through the reserches of many linguists we know that the linear, causal relationship between motivation and achievement is form Motivation to Motivation Behavior to Achievement.
However, the traditional English textbook for middle school students in China was a mixture product of traditional method and audio-lingual method in each lesson consisted of isolated pattern drills followed by a pedagogical text written for the teaching of a particular grammar structure. Consequently, most of students’ motivation of studying English and cultural awareness were lost as a result of the material adopted. So, in order to improve the students’ learning motivation and cultural awareness, the use of interesting and authentic materials as supplementary materials together with recording, visual aids and other facilities are necessary.
3.2 Classroom is not an Arena but a Cultural Forum
3.2.1The teachers’ role in the classroom
In china, There has always been a tendency, on the part of the teacher, to claim superiority over his or her students and, consequently, to lose sight of his or her real role in class. Because of their autarchy, the classroom is not a Forum where students can express themselves freely but an Arena where the teachers play monodrama. As is patently obvious, the teacher’s monodrama is not a kind of interesting input which can stimulate the students to produce satisfactory output.
So the first major responsibility of English teachers are to change the classroom to an interesting and English- cultural Forum.What’s more, they should encourage and stimulate students to play role on the forum. Role playing is a good method to stimulate students’ interesting and to enhance their awareness of culture .In role playing, students can act out inappropriate language use or a miscommunication that is based on cultural differences.
The second function that an English teacher is expected to fulfill is that of counselor and a cultural-language resource. At this time, providing instruction and guidelines of culture knowledge for student are the teachers another important responsibility.
3.2.2 The advantage of classroom forum
So if the classroom is a cultural Forum where students would express and act out themselves freely, students’ enthusiasm and confidence and would be improved. .What’s more, through the forum, many appropriate languages use or a miscommunication can be founded. Under this condition, if the teacher would point out and provide correct knowledge about cultural different, the students would get deep impression and it is not easy for them to make the same mistakes. The problem of pragmatics misunderstanding which caused by cultural difference can be slacked.
3.3 learning English on the Internet
The language communication ability of people must need a lot of language practice. However, the common people’s English learning is lack of a true language environment and lack of communications with forefingers.
But nowadays, The Internet has offered a communication plat for people to get more information about English-Speaking countries and to take an immediately intercourse with foreigners.
Firstly, with the help of internet, the students can visit some English webs with a large amount of English knowledge and materials.Secondly, with the application of multimedia, much computer software is used in communication. Thirdly, with the help of microphone and earphone the students can live in a true English language environment, and reduce the dependence on their mother language,
In all, Internet provides an available platform for us to understand more English knowledge and give us more opportunity to communicate with foreigners .Under the help of internet, the English practical ability can be improved and the pragmatic failure can be reduced.
Ⅳ、 Conclusion
Politeness is the common phenomenon of each nation and Politeness Principle is very useful in intercultural communication. Politeness Principle is not an addition but a rescue of the Cooperative Principle.Both in the English and Chinese, it plays a very important role.
But polite language is the offspring of tradition and deposition of culture.Because of the different country has different culture, the connotation of Politeness Principle are also various. So when Chinese people communicate with the people who come from English-speaking countries, they are easy to fall into embarrassments.
So the comparative study of Politeness Principle in Chinese and English cultures is also important. This thesis has given some examples of the same and different uses of PP between English and Chinese.
To be familiar with the cultural backgrounds and daily life of English-Speaking countries and to choose the right politeness maxims during communication are very important and useful to intercultural communication. And the innovation of English teaching system, the supplement of authentic material, the suitable use of classroom and internet are available methods to understand the cultural background, daily life of English-Speaking countries.
The understanding of the cultural background, daily life of English-Speaking countries can help create harmony communicative environment.
BIBLIOGRAPHY：
[1]Commings,Louise.(2007)Pragmatic-A Multidislinary Perspective. Peking: Peking
University Press.
[2]Grice, H. Paul. (1975) Logic and Conversation. In Cole, P. & Moran, J. (eds.) Syntaxand Semantics, Vol.3: Speech Acts, New York: Academic Press.
[3]Leech, G. N. (1983) Principles of Pragmatics. London: Longman.
Li ,Tong(2003) Pragmatic Differences in Politeness Compared between English andChinese[J]. Journal of Xinzhou Teachers University.
Jamison,John.&PeterH.Antonion.&KatherineWhitman(1999)Intercultural Communication Skills.中山大学出版社.
[4]何兆熊.新编语用学概要[M].上海：上海外语教育出版社,2002.
[5]语用学文献选读[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2002.
[6]胡文仲.跨文化交际学概论[M]上海:译文出版,1998.
[7]刘森林.语用策略[M] 社会科学文献出版社,2007.
[8]李瑞华.英汉语言文化对比研究[M].上海：上海外语教育出社,1997.
[9]田金平.英语教育学引论[M].An Introduction to English Subject Education中国科学技术出版社,2006.
Key words:PPcultural difference pragmatic failure authentic materialforum internet
Ⅰ、Introduction
1.1 The Cooperative Principle and the Polite Principle
“As a universal phenomenon, politeness is observed in every society, its main functions are maintaining social order; and misunderstandings by means of polite speech acts so as to attain the aim of communication.” (Li Tong, 2003:29)
In order to help people to avoid pragmatic failure and to maintain harmonious interpersonal relationship and facilitate successful communication, linguistics had been eager to search for useful and helpful principle.
Cooperative principle has been seen as a fundamental regulation of conversation and has been discussed for a long time since it was proposed by H.P.Grice in 1976. It is made up by four maxims cooperative principle (abbreviated: CP)which consists of four pragmatic sub-principles or “maxims”:1) Maxims of quantity2) Maxims of quality3) Maxims of relation4) Maxims of manner
Objectively speaking, Grice’s new theory-CP brings about a great development in the concept of conversational implication and has been attached great attention to the linguistic circle. Some critics set such high value up on the notion that they regard it as a breakthrough in pragmatics.
Whereas, there were objections to Grice’s CP on the grounds that it does not stand up to the evidence of real language use. So, Leech proposed another important principle-the polite principle which has been an important-starting for the argument.
He gave some explanation of why CP is needed and why it is not sufficient, as an explanation of the relation between sense and force. What’s more, he proposed that the PP is not a supplement of CP, but a rescue of the CP. According to Leech, the polite principle (abbreviated: CP) is divided into six sub-principles:1)Tact Maxim 2)Generosity Maxim 3)Approbation Maxim 4)Modesty Maxim 5)Agreement Maxim 6)Sympathy Maxim
In real life, if people only obey to CP, it is easy to produce misunderstandings which make the listeners feel that they lose face or don’t get enough respect and it is easy to let tellers and listeners relapse into embarrassment situation or even destroy their relationship. Under this situation, we need PP to change the embarrassment and create a harmony conversation environment. This paper will show how PP rescues CP in English and the importance of PP.
1.2 How the Polite Principle Rescues the Cooperative Principle in English
In the first instance, this thesis will through conversations between King Lear and hisdaughters to release how PP rescues CP in English (Form William Shakespeare’s famous work -King Lear).
The old king Lear wants to know how deeply his three draughts love him. So he orders them to use words to express their love. What’s more, he will accord to their words to distribute his property.
KING LEAR:
“Tell me, my daughters,Since now we will divest us both of rule,Interest of territory, cares of state,Which of you shall we say doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extendwhere nature doth with merit challenge. GONERIL :( the first daughter)
“Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter;Dear than eye-sight, space, and liberty;Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare……Beyond all manner of so much I love you.”
It is obvious that King Lear’s first daughter –Goneril violates the CP, She disobeys to the maxim of quality and the maxim of quantity. But she uses the PP properly .She uses the maxim of generosity: maximize cost to self and the maxim of approbation: maximize praise of other. She compliments and pleases his father through some encomiastic words (Dear than eye-sight, space, and liberty…).
Owing to the suitable use of PP, she gets his father’s trust and holds his father’ field
However, her little sister-Cordelia is a purity and innocent girl. Cordelia absolutely obeys to the maxim of quantity .she doesn’t say what she believes to be false, doesn’t say that for which she lack adequate evidence. She never flatters her father or magnifies her love .What she do is just uses the simplest words to express her true idea.
CORDELIA(the youngest daughter ):
Good my lord,……
Haply, when I shall wed,
That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry
Half my love with him, half my care and duty:
Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all.
KING LEAR; Let it be so; thy truth, then, be thy dower:
For, by the sacred radiance of the sun……
And as a stranger to my heart and me
Hold thee, from this, for ever.
Because Cordelia neglects the use the PP, her father misunderstands her and thinks that she doesn’t love him. The harmony relationship between them is destroyed.
From the example, it must be admitted that the CP is in a weak position if apparent exceptions to it can not be satisfactorily explained. It is for this reason that the PP can be seen not just as another principle to add to the CP, but as a necessary complement, which rescue the CP form serious trouble. What’s more, PP doesn’t only rescue CP in English but also in Chinese.
1.3 How the Polite Principle Rescues the Cooperative Principle in Chinese
EX.1晋国大夫董叔想娶范宣之女。叔向劝阻道：“范氏富，不如算了吧。”（《国语·晋语九》）
Mr. Dong Shu, a minister of ancient china, wants to marry the daughter of Mr. Fan Xuan. Mr.ShuXiang, one of Mr.DongShu’s friends, objects the marriage, because he thinks that Mr. Fan Xuan is not only wealthy but also peremptory and overbearing. If Mr. Dong Shu married Mr.FanXuan’s daughter, he would be ridden roughshod over. But Mr.Shu doesn’t express the true reason frankly, he just says Mr.FanShi is too rich .There is an old saying: the person who is rich is often proud and likes riding roughshod over others. Through praising the wealthy of Mr. Fan Xuan, Mr.DongShu indicates that Mr.DongShu will be teasedafter marriage, so it is better not to marry Mr.FanXuan’s daughter. It is obvious that Mr.DongShu violates the maxim of CP: the maxim of quantity. By contrast, he observes the maxim of PP. With the help of PP, Mr.DongShu can express his opinion and at the same time he needn’t criticize others frankly.
It is obvious that PP can rescue CP not only in English but also in Chinese. That means PP is suit to Chinese .That also means that Chinese people can use PP properly; they have a deep thought of politeness. Chinese hold the thoughts of politeness which roots in every Chinese heart form5 thoughts years ago .And they also know the importance of PP , they also usually use PP to rescue CP in Chinese
We all know, in a way, language is influenced by thoughts .But why Chinese people can use the pp in their mother tongue properly, when the face with English, they often produce misunderstand and relapse into embarrassments situation . This thesis will analyze the reasons and propose some ideals to solve this problem.
Ⅱ、The Reasons of Pragmatic Failure of Chinese
2.1. The Cultural Difference and the Different Use of PP in Chinese and English
The first reason that leads to pragmatic failure is the cultural difference and the difference use of PP in Chinese and English.
From the above examples we can see that there are some common points of Politeness Principle between English and Chinese. But because of the different culture backgrounds, English and Chinese people have different viewpoints on politeness. Therefore, when use Politeness Principle, they will have some differences. This thesis will then take the difference in Modesty Maxim for example.
It is universally accepted that to show modesty is a way to be polite, and Leech’s Modesty Maxim runs as “Minimize praise of self (Maximize dispraise of self)”. But how this maxim is adhered to in different cultures is very much a matter of degree. When being complimented, an English-speaking person would readily accept the compliment by saying something like “Thank you” to show his appreciation of the praise, but a Chinese speaker would try to deny the truth of the compliment. They both are being modest and they both think they are behaving properly. Yet either of them would think the other is being polite. For instance:
(1) A: Oh, how beautiful your dress is! B: Thank you.
(2)A: Your English is very good. B: Not at all. My English is very poor.
In (1) and (2) are the typical answers to praise of English and Chinese people. “The English speaker is being polite to the extent that by accepting and showing appreciation of the compliment; the Chinese speaker ignoring the factuality of the compliment paid to him. Because self-denigration has been at the core of the Chinese notion of politeness for over two thousand years, the Chinese in order to show modesty will go to such lengths as to underrate what he himself has achieved and deny the truth of a complimentary remark.” (He Zhaoxiong, 1995,)
So in intercultural communication, the cultural difference is one of important reasons which lead to pragmatic failures.
Culture Self-identity Maxim, and indicates that grammatical mistakes in intercultural communication can be forgiven, but improper use of language can often cause misunderstandings and embarrassments.
2.2 The unsuitable educational system and belief
The second reason that leads to pragmatic failure is the unsuitable educational system and belief.
The English examination for college entrance still has great influence on English teaching and learning in middle school and most college students are still studying English hard for CET-4, CET-6 and graduate examinations Their purposes of learning English are to pass the examinations .
What’s more ,in many middle schools and colleges of china, the purpose of English teaching is just to improve the students’ four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with the base of necessary phonetics, large vocabulary and good grammar. The knowledge, convincing-form, formation-mixture and understanding system are all neglected. To be sure, the four skills are very important, it is the foundation of mastering English. But this is not the final purpose. The final purpose is to lot let students be able to use the language. Why do we study English? It is true the ultimate purpose of learning English is to develop the communicative competence. If a man is only good at listening and speaking, can we say that he is good at English? No. If a man is only good at reading and writing, can we say that he is good at the language? No .If a student is really good at English; he should be able to use the language under proper situation, in the right time, in the right place, and to the right person.
So the major cause of influencing Chinese students’ communicative ability is the lack of cultural background knowledge, the differences of thinking modes and the unsuitable educational system.
“If we just learn the language material but do not know the cultural background, it shows that we only focus on the surface instead of understanding its spirit”[胡文仲, 1998: 4]This paper will finally points out how to through suitable teaching methods to enhance students’ background knowledge and model students’ English thinking. Consequently, promote the communicative ability of students. This thesis will provide 3 kinds of methods.
Ⅲ、 How to Solve the Problem of Pragmatic Failure
3.1 The Supplement of Authentic Material
3.1.1 Authenticity input
Input is sometimes called “reception” and output is sometimes called “production”. If there aren’t correct and impressing inputs, it is impossible for students to produce suitable and satisfactory output.So, in the process of learning English, the authentic input is very important .And the supplement of authentic material is a effective way to increase authentic input.
In china, although many students have acquired four skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing according to the demand of our traditional syllabus, they often make mistakes in application of language to real life, because our teaching and teaching materials attach importance to language forms but ignore the social meanings of language forms and language application in reality. We can see the following dialogues in many textbooks:
A: What’s your name?
B: My name is Li Hong.
A: How old are you?
B: I’m twenty.
A: Where do you come from?
B: I come from Nanjing.
2. A: Where are you going?
B: I’m going to the library.
3. A: Are you writing a letter to your parents?
B: Yes, I am.
A: How often do you write to your parents?
B: About oncea week.
All the above dialogues are roughly the combination of Chinese thinking and English form. Although such forms are correct, they are not appropriate. Except for hospitals, immigration offices and such places, it’s unimaginable for someone to ask a string of questions like “What’s your name?” “How old are you?” “Where do you come from?” the natural reflection of English-speaking people the greeting like: “Where are you going?” would mostly likely be “Why do you ask?” or “It’s none of your bossiness”. Questions like “Are you writing to your parents?” would be though to intrude one’s privacy. Our teaching material seldom pays attention to differences between cultures, so our students are usually ignorant of the factor of culture and they can only mechanically copy what they have learned.
So in language teaching, weshouldnot only pass on knowledge of language and train learners’ competence of utilizing language, but also enhance teaching of relative cultural backgroundknowledge.
3.1.2 Cultural awareness
What’s more, The authentic materials of English are rich and colorful which can include movies, TV, documents, sit-com ads ,newsbroadcasts, , photographs, magazines, newspapers, restaurant, menus, travel brochures, and other audio-visual or prints materials .
Using authentic sources form the native speech community is helps to engage students in authentic cultural experience. It is benefit for students to build up “cultural awareness”. Intercultural awareness, as a fundamental feature of language and an integral part of language, also important at all levels.
3.1.3 Motivation
Furthermore, authentic can stimulate the students’ interesting and motivation.
Motivation refers to the inner drive, impulse, emotion, or desire that moves one to a particular action. Or in more technical terms, motivation refers to “the choice people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach or avoid and the degree of effort they will exert in that respect” (Brown 2002).Through the reserches of many linguists we know that the linear, causal relationship between motivation and achievement is form Motivation to Motivation Behavior to Achievement.
However, the traditional English textbook for middle school students in China was a mixture product of traditional method and audio-lingual method in each lesson consisted of isolated pattern drills followed by a pedagogical text written for the teaching of a particular grammar structure. Consequently, most of students’ motivation of studying English and cultural awareness were lost as a result of the material adopted. So, in order to improve the students’ learning motivation and cultural awareness, the use of interesting and authentic materials as supplementary materials together with recording, visual aids and other facilities are necessary.
3.2 Classroom is not an Arena but a Cultural Forum
3.2.1The teachers’ role in the classroom
In china, There has always been a tendency, on the part of the teacher, to claim superiority over his or her students and, consequently, to lose sight of his or her real role in class. Because of their autarchy, the classroom is not a Forum where students can express themselves freely but an Arena where the teachers play monodrama. As is patently obvious, the teacher’s monodrama is not a kind of interesting input which can stimulate the students to produce satisfactory output.
So the first major responsibility of English teachers are to change the classroom to an interesting and English- cultural Forum.What’s more, they should encourage and stimulate students to play role on the forum. Role playing is a good method to stimulate students’ interesting and to enhance their awareness of culture .In role playing, students can act out inappropriate language use or a miscommunication that is based on cultural differences.
The second function that an English teacher is expected to fulfill is that of counselor and a cultural-language resource. At this time, providing instruction and guidelines of culture knowledge for student are the teachers another important responsibility.
3.2.2 The advantage of classroom forum
So if the classroom is a cultural Forum where students would express and act out themselves freely, students’ enthusiasm and confidence and would be improved. .What’s more, through the forum, many appropriate languages use or a miscommunication can be founded. Under this condition, if the teacher would point out and provide correct knowledge about cultural different, the students would get deep impression and it is not easy for them to make the same mistakes. The problem of pragmatics misunderstanding which caused by cultural difference can be slacked.
3.3 learning English on the Internet
The language communication ability of people must need a lot of language practice. However, the common people’s English learning is lack of a true language environment and lack of communications with forefingers.
But nowadays, The Internet has offered a communication plat for people to get more information about English-Speaking countries and to take an immediately intercourse with foreigners.
Firstly, with the help of internet, the students can visit some English webs with a large amount of English knowledge and materials.Secondly, with the application of multimedia, much computer software is used in communication. Thirdly, with the help of microphone and earphone the students can live in a true English language environment, and reduce the dependence on their mother language,
In all, Internet provides an available platform for us to understand more English knowledge and give us more opportunity to communicate with foreigners .Under the help of internet, the English practical ability can be improved and the pragmatic failure can be reduced.
Ⅳ、 Conclusion
Politeness is the common phenomenon of each nation and Politeness Principle is very useful in intercultural communication. Politeness Principle is not an addition but a rescue of the Cooperative Principle.Both in the English and Chinese, it plays a very important role.
But polite language is the offspring of tradition and deposition of culture.Because of the different country has different culture, the connotation of Politeness Principle are also various. So when Chinese people communicate with the people who come from English-speaking countries, they are easy to fall into embarrassments.
So the comparative study of Politeness Principle in Chinese and English cultures is also important. This thesis has given some examples of the same and different uses of PP between English and Chinese.
To be familiar with the cultural backgrounds and daily life of English-Speaking countries and to choose the right politeness maxims during communication are very important and useful to intercultural communication. And the innovation of English teaching system, the supplement of authentic material, the suitable use of classroom and internet are available methods to understand the cultural background, daily life of English-Speaking countries.
The understanding of the cultural background, daily life of English-Speaking countries can help create harmony communicative environment.
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