抄録
Differences between cultures are most noticeable when cross-cultural miscommunication takes place. However, current English textbooks, although they include a lot of factual cultural information, do not include enough examples of situations where there are possibilities of pragmatic miscommunication. This paper attempts to place in context major developments in cross-cultural pragmatics and to discuss the feasibility of applying these to English language teaching. Referring to some studies on cross-cultural speech act realizations, first, the present study reviews the research into pragmatic transfer by Japanese learners of English. Secondly, it examines whether the English textbooks used in senior high schools in Japan adequately illustrate examples of authentic pragmatic interactions. Finally, this article suggests how the results of cross-cultural pragmatic research can be applied to the designing of teaching materials to facilitate the development of cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence in English.
