Cross-cultural pragmatic failure in computer-mediated communication

Article

Baumer, Martina and van Rensburg, Henriette. 2011. "Cross-cultural pragmatic failure in computer-mediated communication." Coolabah. 5, pp. 34-53.
Article Title

Cross-cultural pragmatic failure in computer-mediated communication

ERA Journal ID200328
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsBaumer, Martina (Author) and van Rensburg, Henriette (Author)
Journal TitleCoolabah
Journal Citation5, pp. 34-53
Number of Pages20
Year2011
Place of PublicationBarcelona, Spain
ISSN1988-5946
Web Address (URL)http://www.ub.edu/dpfilsa/4baumervanrensburgcoola5.pdf
Abstract

The study reported in this paper examines the occurrence of cross-cultural misunderstandings in computer-mediated communication (CMC). CMC has become a part of many people’s everyday life; rules of language practice such as politeness and other characteristics of relational communication are blurred. The study will expose subtle
conducts that are language and culture specific. It will further explore how these social and culture factors influence language use of native and non-native English speaking national and international postgraduate Education students. In particular, the positive and negative tactics and the depiction of relational regularities and patterns prove to be useful to uncover cross-cultural interactions. Questions that arise are: What is considered as polite and
acceptable and what is rude and intolerable in CMC? Is politeness a luxury we no longer can or want to afford? How is this affecting cross-cultural communication and negotiation in CMC?

Keywordscross-cultural; CMC; cross-cultural pragmatic failure; computer-mediated communication; politeness
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020460609. Networking and communications
470212. Multicultural, intercultural and cross-cultural studies
470401. Applied linguistics and educational linguistics
Public Notes

© 2011 Martina Baumer & Henriette van Rensburg.
This text may be archived and redistributed both in electronic form and in hard copy, provided that the author and journal are properly cited and no fee is charged. COOLABAH, ISSN 1988-5946, is the official journal of the Observatori: Centre d' Estudis Australians - The Australian Studies Centre at the Universitat de Barcelona.

Byline AffiliationsSouthern Cross University
Faculty of Education
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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