Elective course 3223-AMMS-EC-IP
Intercultural pragmatics addresses human communication in the interconnected, multilingual and multicultural world where people interact with each other in a language other than their own native tongue with speakers of other languages with diverse cultural background. This course will look at a variety of phenomena that involve speaker’s meaning, non-literal language use, and other cases where the boundary between linguistic code and situational context is blurred, especially in cross-cultural encounters.
Students will analyse how social and situational factors interact with grammar and see why, sometimes, text or discourse, rather than isolated sentences, serve as units of analysis. Intercultural pragmatics, is presently an area of intensive research for linguists, sociolinguists,
logicians, psychologists, and philosophers. The course will introduce students to major pragmatic concepts, including presupposition, speech acts, implicature and relevance theory and situate them in intercultural context, both in times of peace and conflict. We shall also look at how pragmatic research may shed new light on the communication with and within special groups such as persons on the Autism Spectrum or with Alzheimer’s disease. Assignments will focus on real life uses of pragmatics, such as political promises, public apologies, global business ventures, student exchanges, functions and effects of politeness, hate speech and ethnic stereotyping, effects of implicature in everyday conversations, etc.
Topics:
Introduction: Cultural glasses: identity and perception
The concept of culture(s): Language and culture
Theories of communication
CULTURES and cultures: ethnicity, nationality, race, language, gender, age, profession
(etc.) as criteria of culture/group membership
Cultural relativity of pragmatic concepts:
Gricean Maxims
Implicature
Non-literal communication: the power of metaphors
Presupposition
Cultural relativity of pragmatic concepts cont’d
Relevance theory
Speech Act Theory
Silence and salience
Truth and lies: who is the master?
Common ground and the Golden Rule
Politeness and impoliteness
Pragmatics of the body language: cross-cultural perspective
Pragmatics and the brain: theory of mind and culture
Intercultural pragmatics and
Education
Business
Arts
Law
Health Care
Isn’t everything “intercultural” in everyday communications?
Communication and the new media: an intercultural perspective
Language and power in cross-cultural perspective
Pragmatics in the Global Village: the future of intercultural communication.
Type of course
elective courses
Mode
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: the graduate knows and understands:
-at an advanced level conceptual and terminological apparatus in the field of multilingualism and multiculturalism
-at an advanced level main directions of development and the most important achievements in the area of multilingualism and multiculturalism
-at an advanced level contemporary research trends in the field of multilingualism and multiculturalism
-at an advanced level the complex nature of language, its intricacy and changeability
-the latest research methodology used in the field of multilingualism and multiculturalism
-relations between language and culture and religion sciences as well as sociology
-principles of creation and development of various forms of entrepreneurship
Skills: the graduate is able to:
-prepare written works in the field of multilingualism and multiculturalism in English (including works bearing the features of a scientific text)
-search, analyse and utilise information using available sources
-recognize different genres of texts and conduct their in-depth analysis and interpretation using various methods
-argue substantively using the views of other authors and formulate conclusions
-integrate knowledge relevant to multilingualism and multiculturalism
-independently develop and give an oral presentation on a selected topic in the field of multilingualism and multiculturalism using source literature
-formulate, analyse and synthesise research problems in the field of multilingualism and multiculturalism and select adequate methods and tools to solve these problems, present the developed issues using various forms and methods
-work independently and in a group to acquire knowledge and develop research skills in the field of multilingualism and multiculturalism
-use the English language in speech and writing compliant with the requirements set out for the B2+ level according to CEFR
Social competences: the graduate is ready to:
-recognise the importance of knowledge and seek expert advice when problems arise
-critically assess knowledge and skills in the field of multilingualism and multiculturalism
Assessment criteria
Active participation 15%
2 written assignments 2 x 20% 40%
Final assessment 45%
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: