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Article In:
Pragmatics & Cognition
Vol. 30:2 (2023) ► pp.235–257

Language variation and temporary norm development in intercultural interactions

| State University of New York

The paper argues that interlocutors in intercultural interactions rely mainly on co-constructed temporary norms rather than on codified norms of the target language. There is a complex interplay of codified and emergent norms that drives interaction. Temporary norms emerge through temporary communicative extension of the system (TCE) that are expressions, chunks and utterances that violate the existing relatively definable norms and conventions of target language use, but still make sense in actual situational contexts and can be considered possible outputs of the English language system. TCEs function as building blocks for temporary norms, and they can also be building blocks in common ground development. The paper demonstrates these functions through examples in intercultural interactions.

Keywords: variation, norm, temporary extension of the system, common ground, intercultures
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Temporary communicative extensions (TCEs)
  • 3.Variations and norms in L1 and L2
  • 4.Intercultural variations (intercultures) and preferred ways of saying things
  • 5.TCE as building blocks of temporary norms and common ground builders
    • 5.1How to recognize TCEs?
    • 5.2TCEs a building blocks in common ground development
    • 5.3TCEs in the classroom
  • 6.How to keep the normativity of the English language while being receptive to variations?
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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