Vahid Rafieyan

• PhD in TESOL
• Professor of Linguistics at Yamanashi Gakuin University

Learning a language involves knowledge of both linguistic competence and cultural competence. Optimal development of linguistic competence and cultural competence, however, requires a high level of acculturation attitude toward the target language culture. To this end, the present study explored the acculturation attitudes of 70 Iranian undergradua...

Pragmatic comprehension can be ideally developed through contact with target language speakers. This contact can be provided in English as Foreign Language contexts through telecollaboration. To test the actual effect of telecollaboration on the development of pragmatic comprehension, 30 Iranian undergraduates of English as a Foreign Language parti...

Familiarity with the cultural features of the target language society and interest in learning those cultural features are the key factors to determine language learners’ level of pragmatic comprehension. To investigate this issue, this study attempted to assess the relationship between attitude toward incorporating target language culture into cla...

The distance between language learners’ culture and the culture of the target language community is considered to play a crucial role in determining the level of pragmatic comprehension. In this respect, a study was conducted over 30 German students, perceived as culturally close to the British, and 30 South Korean students, perceived as culturally...

The term "acculturation attitude" refers to how language learners feel about adopting the culture of the language they are learning versus maintaining their own cultural heritage. This attitude can have an impact on their ability to develop the pragmatic skills necessary for effective communication in the target language. The aim of this study was...

To understand the implied meanings of a language, known as pragmatic comprehension, one must possess knowledge of the cultural conventions embedded in the language (Rafieyan, 2013). Therefore, language learners need to have an interest in the culture of the language they are learning. To this end, a study was conducted on 80 Iranian undergraduate s...

Successful cross-cultural communication necessitates not only linguistic competence but also pragmatic competence (Schmidt, 2001). Language education scholars emphasize the importance of pragmatic awareness-raising instruction in developing both linguistic and pragmatic competence in language learners (Eslami-Rasekh, 2005; Bardovi-Harlig & Mahan-Ta...

The quality of the information structure of written communication depends on two factors: (1) the writer’s meaning and purpose, and (2) the extent to which the writer and reader share knowledge of pragmatic features of the language of communication (Nystrand, 1986). To this end, the current study was conducted to investigate the effect of developin...

Writers who come from a culture that is closer to the cultural values of the target language community are considered more equipped with the pragmatic features of the target language than those who come from a more distant culture. Consequently, they can present their target language writings more comprehensibly to target language readers. To this...

Conventional expressions, which consist of strings such as No problem, Nice to meet you, and That’d be great, are of significant importance to intercultural communication (Coulmas, 1981). The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which cultural intelligence (CQ), defined as an individual’s capability to function and manage effectively i...

Translation is not just a mechanical transference of meaning from one language into another; rather, the pragmatic features of both languages need to be considered when decoding the meaning embedded in the source language and encoding it into the target language. To this end, an experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of developi...

Cultural distance which is defined as the extent to which the shared norms and values in one country differ from those in another country (Hofstede, 2001) is considered to be a strong predictor of pragmatic competence. In this regard, the current study investigated the effect of cultural distance from the target language community and pragmatic ins...

Attitude toward target language culture is supposed to be a strong predictor of pragmatic competence. The reason is the pragmatic features of every language stem in the culture of that language. As a result, the willingness to learn the cultural aspects of the target language might have a significant effect on the development of target language pra...

The theoretical foundations supporting adherence to naturalistic language learning approaches appear to have entirely collapsed, just as non-naturalistic approaches to language teaching such as translation and translanguaging have become increasingly respectable in English language teaching. In line with this, language and language learning are inc...

The ideal way of developing pragmatic competence is through exposure to target language culture and contact with target language speakers during an educational sojourn. As the majority of language learners cannot afford educational sojourn, such an environment can be conveniently facilitated through the provision of opportunities for foreign langua...

Belief in naturalistic methods in ELT can be shown to be based on very shaky theoretical foundations. One generally ignored challenge to this belief is the claim, made by Japanese teachers of English, that new vocabulary is learned more easily when there is L1-embedding of target L2 items. In order to investigate this claim, comprehension of new En...

Cultural distance, defined as the extent to which the shared norms and values in one country differ from those in another country (Hofstede, 2001), is considered to be a strong predictor of pragmatic competence. In this respect, the current study investigated the effect of cultural distance from the target language community and pragmatic instructi...

Since pragmatic ability appears to be a vital skill for social transactions, Bardovi-Harlig and Mahan-Taylor (2003) have argued for the inclusion of explicit instruction in pragmatics within general language instruction. However, their study adopts a speech-act framework that does not differentiate between pragmatic production and pragmatic compreh...

Since pragmatic competence and grammatical competence are two distinct aspects of communicative competence (Bachman, 1990), a high level of grammatical competence may not lead to a high level of pragmatic competence; rather, it can be best developed through immersion in the target language. In this respect, this paper addresses three research quest...

Theoretical issues related to mental development, cultural psychology, linguistics, and second language acquisition all point to the need to embrace the optimal use of student language in second language pedagogical tasks, rather than to merely dismiss such usage as a necessary evil. A principled response is urgently called for. It has been shown t...

Abstract Formulaic sequences comprise a large body of language and their mastery is supposed to be a key determiner of language proficiency. However, despite their significance in language learning, they are seldom taught in any principled manner in language classrooms and their correct and appropriate use remains a particular challenge to language...

Formulaic sequences are assumed to play a vital role in foreign language learners' speech fluency and language proficiency as they constitute a major part of foreign language learners' linguistic repertoire. In this respect, the current study examined the relationship between knowledge of formulaic sequences and language proficiency to scrutinize t...

Pragmatic competence is best attained through educational sojourn. However, exposure to target language culture and input is not the sole factor affecting language learners’ pragmatic competence rather a wide range of individual differences variables can be determining factors. In this respect, the current study investigates the effects of pragmati...

Theoretical issues related to mental development, cultural psychology, linguistics, and second language acquisition all point to the need to embrace the optimal use of student language in second language pedagogical tasks, rather than merely dismiss such usage as a necessary evil. A principled response is urgently called for. We have shown that pro...

Formulaic sequences are known to be fundamental to the way language is used, processed, and acquired in both the first language and the second language (Schmitt Schmitt, 2010) and consequently should be incorporated into foreign language classroom practice (Wood, 2010; Alali & Schmitt, 2012; Hatami, 2015). However, there have always been discrepanc...

Formulaic sequences, or sequences of words that tend to appear together (Serrano et al., 2015), is an umbrella term encompassing multiword units, chunks, collocations, conventionalized forms, fixed expressions, prefabricated chunks, ready-made utterances, idioms, proverbs, sayings and multi-word sequences (Schmitt & Carter, 2004; Wray, 2002). It is...

Since pragmatic ability appears to be a vital skill for social transactions, Bardovi-Harlig & Mahan-Taylor (2003) have argued for the inclusion of explicit instruction in pragmatics within general language instruction. This presentation addresses three research questions within the context of an immersive English program in an EFL setting: 1) What...

National cultural distance is considered to be a strong predictor of language learners’ pragmatic competence. To test the actual effect of national cultural distance on pragmatic competence holistically and comprehension and production aspects of pragmatic competence discretely, the current study was conducted on two groups of undergraduate student...

Development of target language pragmatic competence in language learners requires not only provision of cultural features of target language community in language classes but also language learner’s willingness to learn and use those cultural features. To investigate the relationship between language learners’ attitudes toward cultural instruction...

To develop target language pragmatic competence, language learners' attention must be directed toward not only linguistic but also pragmatic aspect of the target language expressions (Schmidt, 2001). Thus, some sorts of pragmatic awareness-raising instruction, using either explicit 'Focus on Forms' or implicit 'Focus on Form' techniques, are advise...

One of the most problematic perspectives of translation phenomenon is the cultural gap between the source language and the target language (Yang, 2010). This gap can be ideally filled through telecollaboration which provides internationally dispersed language learners in parallel language classes with cost-effective access to, and engagement with,...

Attitude toward accepting target language culture or maintaining heritage culture referred to as acculturation attitude can determine language learners’ pragmatic gains during an educational sojourn. To this end, the current study investigated the relationship between language learners’ acculturation attitudes during an educational sojourn and the...

In order for the translator to be able to translate the source text into the target language in a relevant way, the strata of the translated text through which relevance can be obtained (pragmatic, pragmatic-semantic, and semantic strata) should be equalized to that of the source text (Li & Luo, 2004). The translator can achieve this by raising his...

Feeling of anxiety is commonly expressed by foreign language learners in learning to speak a foreign language. This feeling is considered to have a negative impact on communication in the target language. This study has attempted to investigate the most influential factors in creating this type of anxiety as well as the most commonly used strategie...

Conventional expressions are crucial for social interactions. However, despite their communicative value, they are not acquired even by advanced language learners. Therefore, some sort of pragmatic intervention in the form of pragmatic instruction or educational sojourn should be provided to help language learners develop their knowledge of target...

Cultural intelligence is supposed to be influential to the development of intercultural competence as individuals with a higher cultural intelligence can more easily navigate and understand unfamiliar cultures and adjust their behaviors to perform effectively in culturally diverse situations (Earley & Ang, 2003; Earley & Mosakowski, 2004; Rosen et...

In processing the source text and reverbalization of the target text, a great awareness of the pragmatically relevant differences between the source text and the target text is needed so as to achieve an adequate translation that can fulfill its communicative role in the target culture (Bernardo, 2010). To assess the relationship between pragmatic...

Acculturation attitudes, referred to as “sojourner reactions to adaptation into new language and cultural communities” (Culhane, 2004: 51), can be a predictor of translators’ level of intercultural competence during educational sojourns. Intercultural competence, defined as a “complex of abilities needed to perform effectively and appropriately whe...

Translation is not just using the equivalent words of the other language rather it is locating linguistic symbols against a society’s cultural background (Malinowski, 1935). Therefore, translators need to dominate the sociolinguistic and sociocultural perspectives of the source language (Agost, 1998). Effective acquisition of source language cultur...

Conventional expressions, consisting of strings such as No problem, Nice to meet you, and That’d be great which native speakers use predictably in certain contexts (Bardovi-Harlig, 2009), are described as crucial to intercultural communication (e.g., Coulmas, 1981). However, research in both target language development in general and target languag...

Sociolinguistic and sociocultural features of the source language can be ideally transferred to the target language when the translator’s cultural background knowledge has a high overlap with the source language culture. This signifies the crucial role of national cultural distance from the source language society in the quality of translation of c...

The significant role of cultural background knowledge of the source and target language societies in the process of transferring meaning across languages whose speakers possess totally distinct cultures has been emphasized by numerous scholars (e.g.. To this end, the current study investigated the effect of cultural instruction in general as well a...

According to Bachman’s (1990) model of communicative competence, grammatical competence and pragmatic competence are two distinct aspects of communicative competence and a high level of grammatical competence does not lead to a high level of pragmatic competence (e.g. Bardovi-Harlig, 2001; Rose, 2005). To acquire target language pragmatics, languag...

Since pragmatic competence and grammatical competence are two distinct aspects of communicative competence (Bachman, 1990), Bardovi-Harlig & Mahan-Taylor (2003) have argued for the inclusion of explicit instruction in pragmatics within general language instruction. But do students gain some amount of pragmatic competence without explicit instructio...

Optimal comprehension of pragmatically implied meaning of written and spoken target language expressions is best attained when language learners learn the pragmatic rules conditioning target language use. Developing language learners’ target language pragmatic knowledge, accordingly, requires directing their attention and awareness toward noticing...

The very information structure of written communication depends not just on the writer’s meaning and purpose but rather on the extent to which writer and reader share knowledge of pragmatic features of the language. To assess the actual effect of developing target language pragmatic competence through telecollaboration on improving English as Forei...

Writers whose national culture has less distance from the cultural values of the target language community are supposed to be more familiar with the pragmatic features of the target language and consequently write more comprehensibly for target language readers than writers whose national culture has more distance from the cultural values of the ta...

Cultural intelligence is supposed to be influential to the development of pragmatic comprehension as individuals with a higher cultural intelligence can more easily navigate and understand unfamiliar cultures and adjust their behaviors to perform effectively in culturally diverse situations. To assess the actual relationship between cultural intell...

Comprehension of target language implicatures requires familiarity with the culture-specific conventions encoded in target language expressions which presupposes tendency to learn about the culture of target language community. To this end, a study was conducted over 80 Iranian undergraduates of English in universities in Australia to explore the r...

Knowledge of target language conventional expressions is of crucial importance for language learners not only because they contribute to nativelike speech fluency but also because speakers from the same speech community share knowledge and use of the same inventory of conventional expressions. To assess the effect of form-focused pragmatic instruct...

Mastery of target language conventional expressions seems to require awareness of the differences between native language and target language pragmatic features. To test the effect of awareness of target language pragmatic features on comprehension and production of target language conventional expressions, the current study was conducted over 60 l...

Language learners’ awareness of target language pragmatic features is influenced by individual difference variables, the least explored one being emotional intelligence. To investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and pragmatic awareness, the current study was conducted over 120 Iranian senior undergraduates of English as a Forei...

Effective cross-cultural communication is supposed to require awareness of target language pragmatic features. However, inadequate attention is paid to the development of pragmatic awareness in foreign language classrooms. To examine the actual effect of pragmatic instruction on the development and sustainability of pragmatic awareness in foreign l...

The common assumption is that target language pragmatic features need to be brought to language learners’ direct attention through form-focused pragmatic instruction for them to be learned. To assess language learners’ level of pragmatic comprehension and the effectiveness and sustainability of Focus on Form and Focus on Forms pragmatic instruction...

The significance of familiarity with and interest in the cultural features of the target language society has been highly recognized. The present study investigated the attitude of Iranian language learners towards the incorporation of cultural components of the target language community into their classroom instructions from affective, cognitive,...

Individual differences, attitude toward cultural perspectives of the target language community being its most significant aspect, are assumed to play a crucial role in the development of pragmatic competence. To investigate this issue, this study attempted to assess the relationship between integrative attitude and pragmatic comprehension. A multip...

The significance of familiarity with and interest in the cultural features of the target language society has been highly recognized. The present study investigated the attitude of Iranian language learners towards the incorporation of cultural components of the target language community into their classroom instructions from affective, cognitive,...

The significance of developing cultural awareness in translation courses has increasingly been recognized. There are lots of culture bound words in every language which carry the cultural perspectives of the speakers of that language. Therefore, the mechanical transference of words across languages might result in meaningless and uninteresting tran...