Abstract: Cross-cultural communication means the communication between native speaker and non-native speaker, and it also means the communication among people in different languages and cultural backgrounds. Pragmatic failures often occur in cross-cultural communication. Influenced by Chinese culture, Chinese EFL learners pay much attention to language itself and attach little importance to pragmatic competence in language learning, which finally results in pragmatic failure in cross-cultural communication. This thesis is a study on Chinese EFL learners’ pragmatic failures in cross-cultural communication based on Thomas’s theories. Through the analysis on the causes of pragmatic failures of Chinese EFL learners and the research on pragmatic failure at home and aboard, it is expected to put forward some feasible countermeasures to reduce Chinese EFL learners’ pragmatic failures, enhance their sensitivity and comprehension of target language, and then improve their social competence, which can avoid unnecessary pragmatic failure in cross-cultural communication.

Key words: Pragmatic failure; cross-cultural communication competence; cultural background; English teaching 

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1.Introduction.1

2. Literature Review2

3.The Pragmatic Failure of Chinese EFL learners in Cross-Cultural Communication3

3.1 Common Cases of Pragmatic Failure..3

3.2 Causes of pragmatic failure..4

3.2.1 Cultural Background

3.2.2 Ways of Expression

3.2.3 Negative Transfer of Native Language

3.2.4 Teaching Factors

3.3 The Feasible Countermeasures6

3.3.1 Strengthen Awareness of Cross-cultural Communication

3.3.2 Pay Attention to General Education

3.3.3 Apply Pragmatic Teaching

3.3.4 Add Pragmatic Entry to Dictionaries

3.3.5 Create Real Foreign Language Environment

4. Conclusion9

Bibliography.11

Acknowledgements.12