Abstract: Nowadays with the development of science and technology, international communication becomes more and more frequent. Different countries have different cultures. Under different cultural backgrounds, such as different thought pattern, values and pragmatic rules, pragmatic failures will inevitably occur in intercultural communication, which may have a bad effect on intercultural communication. This paper mainly attaches importance to the research of pragmatic failures in intercultural communication. Generally, people interpret others’ speech act or non-speech act according to their own cultural backgrounds. Throughout the analysis of pragmatic failures of different cultures, this paper may help people understand cultural orientation of different countries, so as to avoid pragmatic failures in intercultural communication.

Key words: intercultural communication; pragmatic failures; verbal communication; nonverbal communication

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Pragmatic Failures in Intercultural Communication-1

2.1 The Concept of Pragmatic Failures-1

2.2 Pragmatic Failures in Verbal Communication-4

2.3 Pragmatic Failures in Nonverbal Communication-11

3. Analyses of Pragmatic Failures in Intercultural Communication-14

3.1 Cultural Values-14

3.2 Pragmatic Rules-16

3.3 Ethnocentrism, Stereotype and Prejudice-18

3.4 Pragmatic Transfer-20

3.5 Thought Patterns-20

4. Feasible Measures for Pragmatic Failures in Intercultural Communication-21

4.1 Cultivate Intercultural Awareness-21

4.2 Enhance Pragmatic Competence-22

5. Conclusion-23

Reference-24