Article published In:
ITL - International Journal of Applied LinguisticsVol. 103/104 (1994) ► pp.1–17
Vol. 103/104 (1994) ► pp.1–17
Cross-Cultural Responses to Cross-Cultural Communication
This paper builds on ongoing research on communication in English between migrants of diverse backgrounds in Melbourne work-places. Subjects from various European and South-east Asian backgrounds were videoed responding to videoed role plays between European and South-east Asians based on instances of communication breakdown (apology, complaint, small talk) in our corpus. The paper discusses the differences in the mode of argumentation between the cultural groups. Special attention will be paid to the use and non-use of yes and no, the presentation and elaboration of arguments, identification of and with their own cultural styles, and the identification of and with their own work experience. Responses will be related to cultural value systems and the co-operative principle.
References (18)
BLUM-KULKA, S. HOUSE J. and KASPER G. (eds.), (1989) : Cross-Cultural Pragmatics. New Jersey : Ablex.
BROWN P. and LEVINSON, S. (1987) : Politeness : Some Universals in Language Use. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. 
BREMER, K. et al., (1988) : Ways of Achieving Understanding : Communicating to Learn in a Second Language. Strasbourg and London : European Science Foundation.
CLYNE, M. (1975) : A Non-Verbal Check on Acceptability of Transference among Bilinguals. ITL Review of Applied Linguistics, 301, 55–64.
(1987) : Cross-Cultural Differences in the Organisation of Academic Discourse. Journal of Pragmatics, 111, 211–247.
(1991) : Community Languages : The Australian Experience. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.
CLYNE, M. BALL M. and NEIL, D. (1991) : Inter-Cultural Communication at Work in Australia. Multilingua : Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, 10(3), 251–274.
CONNOR U. and KAPLAN R. (eds.), (1987) : Writing Across Languages. Mass : Addison-Wesley.
FRASER, B. (1987) : The Challenge of Adversative Discourse to the Co-operative Principle. In O. Tomic and R. Shuy (eds.), The Relation of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. New York : Plenum, 77–88.
GALTUNG, J. (1985) : Struktur, Kultur und Intellektueller Stil. In A. Wierlacher (ed.), Das Fremde und das Eigene. Munich : ludicium Verlag, 151–93.
GRICE, H. (1975) : Logic and Conversation. In Cole P. and Morgan J. (eds.), Syntax and Semantics, Volume 3 : Speech Acts. New York: Academic Press, 41–58.
GUMPERZ, J. (1982) : Discourse Strategies. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.
HINDS, J. (1980) : Japanese Expository Prose. International Journal of Human Communication, 131, 117–158.
KAPLAN, R. (1972) : Cultural Thought Patterns in Inter-Cultural Education. In K. Croft (ed.), Readings on English as a Second Language. Cambridge : Winthrop, 245–262.
KASPER, G. (1981) : Pragmatische Aspekte in der Interimsprache. Tübingen : Narr.
NGUYEN Xuan Thu, (1990) : The Vietnamese Family Moral Code. Journal of Vietnamese Studies, 1(3), 32–36.
PERDUE C. (ed.), (1982) : Second Language Acquisition by Adults. A Field Manual. Strasbourg : European Science Foundation.
SHUY, R. (1987) : Practice Into Theory Versus Theory Into Practice. In O. Tomic and R. Shuy (eds.), The Relation of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. New York : Plenum, 99–113.