Developing pragmatic competence

What might be the problem with A’s last utterance? What might be a proper response to B in English? A: You look pale. What’s the matter? B: I’m feeling sick. A cold, maybe. A: Go and see the doctor. Drink more water. Did you take any pills? Chinese medicine works wonderful. Would you like to try? Put on more clothes. Have a good rest.
Why could there be the following dialogue?
Canadian teacher (to Chinese students): You’re very clever women. (One of the girl students in class): No, I am not a woman. I am a girl.
We’re indeed very sorry that we can’t provide adequate learning facilities for you, and the academic standard of the faculty is also very limited. In addition, the living conditions on campus are far from satisfactory…We beg your pardon…
2. Teaching L2 pragmatics
“Adult learners get a considerable amount of L2 pragmatic knowledge for free.”
Pragmatic universals; Linguistic universals
Zhang: Don’t you like it? Wang: es, I don’t like it.
Terms of address are areas of pragmatic failures.
Mr. Richardson: By the way, I’m Andrew Richardson. My friends call me Andy. This is my business card. Mr. Chen Ping: I’m David Chen. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Richardson. This is my card. Mr. Richardson: No, no, call me Andy. I think we’ll be doing a lot of business together. Mr. Chen: Yes, I hope so. Mr. Richardson (reading Mr. Chen’s card): “Chen Ping”. Ping, I’ll give you a call tomorrow as soon as I get settled at my hotel. Mr. Chen (smiling): Yes, I’ll expect your call.
What terms of address are used inappropriately in this dialogue?
The following welcome speech by the dean of a Chinese college astonished a group of exchange students from an English-speaking country:
Bilingual notices in poor grammar banning smoking in some public places:
为了你和他人的健康，吸烟请到吸烟区。For your and others health the passengers who smoke please go to the smoking area. 吸烟请到吸烟区。To smoke, please go to the smoking area.
Pragmatic instruction is still necessary:
Cultural disparities; The development of L2 pragmatic competence may not naturally follow that of L2 linguistic competence; Some people highly competent in their L1 communication are much less context-sensitive in L2 communication
Developing pragmatic competence
Grammatical error may reveal a speaker to be less than a proficient language-user, pragmatic failure likewise reflects badly on him/her as a person.
3. Miscommunication and pragmatic failures
Miscommunication and pragmatic failures: evidence of want of pragmatic competence. Examples:
Pragmatic failures tend to occur when non-native speakers assume total comparability of usage between some items the L2 and some in their L1.
What’s the problem pragmatically speaking?
A bilingual Chinese advertisement in China Daily:
广州酒家—食在广州第一家 Guangzhou Restaurant— Eating in Guangzhou, we are Number One.
Jenny Thomas, Cross-culture pragmatic failure, 1983: 97
1. L2 pragmatic competence
The goals of teaching English to Chinese students:
Linguistic competence: the imparting of sound patterns, vocabulary and grammar of English; Pragmatic competence: relating to the appropriate use of English in dynamic contexts (social; cultural)