PRAGMATIC FAILURE AND MISUNDERSTANDING IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
Keywords:
Face, Pragmatics, Pragmatic Competence, Politeness Strategies, Intercultural CommunicationAbstract
Intercultural communication is a vital component of today’s globalized world. Besides linguistic proficiency, intercultural communication often faces misunderstandings, pragmatic failures, and communication breakdowns. A number of studies are available on intercultural communication, but limited research is available on the theoretical analysis of pragmatic failure and misunderstanding in intercultural communication. Thereby, the current research investigates the nature, causes, and effects of pragmatic failure in intercultural communication. The paper focuses on two primary types of pragmatic failure: pragma linguistic failure and sociodramas failure in intercultural communication that occurs due to the misuse of linguistic forms and variations in culture, norms, and traditions. These pragmatic failures are common in speech acts like request, apology, compliment, and refusal. The study aims to show how to use correct language with the help of pragmatic competence. The current study adopts existing literature and documents to fulfil the aim of the study. The study highlighted that pragmatic failure negatively impacts interpersonal relationships, workplace interactions, and cross-cultural communication. Pragmatic awareness is mandatory in language learning and teaching due to its exposure to real-life scenarios. Future research can be conducted on context-based pragmatic features across cultures.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zunaira Rehman, Rimsha Muhammad Ramzan Muhammad Ramzan, Sana Fatima Alvi Fatima Alvi (Author)
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