A Study Of Pragmatic Failure In Reference To Adaptation Theory

Pragmatic failure, as a form of unsuccessful communication, has been investigated by linguists, sociologists, psychologists, communication researchers and foreign language teachers. Previous studies approached pragmatic failure from diverse perspectives and laid a solid foundation for further research. Nevertheless, many problems are inadequately addressed, especially in terms of the definition and research perspective.In this thesis, the author redefines pragmatic failure from the perspective of linguistics and makes a systematic analysis of this phenomenon with adaptation theory. In conducting empirical research, questionnaire is employed to collect data, and pragmatic failure of both junior college students and non-English major postgraduates is observed. The analyses illustrate the explaining force of adaptation theory and provide foreign language teachers with practical suggestions.In this thesis, pragmatic failure refers to a situation in which interlocutors fail to achieve desired communicative effect resulting from the speaker's inappropriate production of utterances or the hearer's misinterpretation of utterances either in verbal or in nonverbal communication. Communication is complex, involving both coding and decoding processes. Thus both speaker and hearer share the responsibility of facilitating communication. In communication, cultural differences often produce pragmatic failure, but it may also result from the influence of social variables and cognitive factors. Verschueren's adaptation theory sheds light on pragmatic failure from a unique perspective. It explains pragmatic failure in communication in cognitive, social and cultural dimensions. In order to cultivate students'pragmatic competence and intercultural communication competence, foreign language teachers should teach linguistic knowledge that is linked with specific context, help students recognize the causes of pragmatic failure, ensure harmonious interpersonal relationship and achieve the desired communicative effect.