KOTESOL International Conference 2016
(Concurrent Session)
Elena Shmidt, PULSE Adult Language Institute, Anyang
On Shaky Ground: English Terms of Address and Pragmatic Failure
Abstract
The ability to choose appropriate terms of address is an important aspect of sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence. The study focuses on the problems facing Korean speakers of English when handling foreign names and titles and on pragmatic failure deriving from the incorrect choices.
The data analyzed in the study show that a vast number of adult speakers, despite their proficiency in English, developed limited competence regarding English honorifics and handling of foreign names in accordance with Anglophone communication etiquette.
Linguistic interference and lack of interactional training opportunities are main restrictive factors for sociocultural competence development by Korean users of English. Promoting the understanding of Anglophone communication etiquette as the mediating sociocultural norm helps English learners to overcome ethnocentrism for successful communication.
Biographicals
Elena Shmidt (PhD) is an instructor at PULSE Adult Language Institute, Anyang. She was awarded PhD from Herzen University (St-Petersburg, Russia) in 2006 for studies in English Philology. Soon after that she moved to South Korea and devoted a few years to studying Korean Language. A life-long learner of English and a parent of trilingual children, she has developed a keen interest in language acquisition theories and modern intercultural communication issues. Dr. Shmidt's acquaintance with expat residents of various professional backgrounds inspired a series of interviews aimed to describe major cross-cultural communication issues in international professional environment in Korea. In her research, Dr.Shmidt also draws on her ESL classroom experiences and reflects on personal social interactions.
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