A Study Of Chinese Students' Pragmatic Failure

Language is an abstract system used for human communication. We use language to exchange information and to establish and maintain smooth, harmonious interpersonal relationships. This description of Janguage makes us consider language not only in terms of its structure, but also in terms of its communicative functions. Hence language learning involves both 搖sage?and actual 搖se?related to specific contexts. As He Ziran (1997) comments, 揕earning a language involves cultivating its pragmatic competence.?In China, however, the lack of English learning environment and grammaroriented teaching approach lead to learner抯 pragmatic failures in real communication.In order to examine how well Chinese students have developed their pragmatic competence, what are the pragmatic failures which Chinese students of English are prone to invite in cross-cultural communication, a research investigation in the form of a questionnaire was conducted in the non-English major students?classrooms. The results reveal that there is a great gap between ideal intentions and the reality --- College English Teaching has much room for improvement in respect to developing students?pragmatic competence. This paper also dwells on the potential pragmatic failures that Chinese students of English are likely to produce in cross-cultural communication.At the end of this study, some preliminary suggestions and practicable remedies on how to cultivating students~ pragmatic competence are given.