A pragmatic analysis of intercultural Communication failures
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to explore intercultural pragmatic failures using
the relevance theoretic perspective. In particular, the primary aim was to find out the
extent to which the cultural contexts and perceptions of relevance of interlocutors
influence the inference process in communication, and whether relevance theory
provides adequate tools fur understanding the reasons for most cases of intercultural
communication failures.
The study was carried out on the basis of data, which was obtained from primary and
secondary sources through observer participation, interviews and experimental
analysis. The data was then analysed and described using the framework of Sperber
and Wilson's (2004) developmental stages of the understanding process.
The results of the data analysis showed that most cases pragmatic failures in
intercultural situations arise mainly because the inference process is constrained by
the cultural contexts through the culture-specific principle of relevance. The
conclusion of this thesis, therefore, was that relevance theory provides the conceptual
and descriptive tools which can fruitfully be applied to the analysis of most cases of
intercultural pragmatic failures.
This thesis is organized in such a way that chapter one basically gives a summary of
the general frame work of the study. It displays the background to the study, statement
of the problem, the set objectives, hypotheses, and the theoretical and methodological
frameworks that have motivated the research. Literature review is also presented in
this chapter.
In chapter two, the intrinsic concepts of relevance theory are discussed in detail. The
main argument of the thesis is presented in chapter three which discusses the
implications of relevance fur intercultural communications.
Chapter four mainly deals with data presentation and analysis. Finally a summary of
the findings and the conclusions of this study are given in chapter five.
Citation
Ogola,C.A.(2006).A pragmatic analysis of intercultural Communication failuresSponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
Department of Linguistic and Languages, University of Nairobi
Description
MA(Linguistics) - Thesis