Relevance Theory And Cultivation Of College English Learners’ Intercultural Communicative Competence

It is universally acknowledged that College English teaching is not confined to the teaching of language and grammar. Instead, it should also incorporate the teaching of foreign cultures; and in the past few decades, an increasing number of scholars and researchers have invested a great amount of energy and time in studying the cultivation of college students’ intercultural communicative competence. Many of them have achieved good results which have been put into use in practical College English education. In this sense, the combination of language teaching with culture, intercultural communicative competence in colleges, as well as universities, has received common recognition by English teachers. However, in our practical teaching life, how to combine them in a balanced and effective way has aroused heated debate. There are some scholars who have proposed the combination from the perspective of intercultural communication; others tried to deal with the issue in light of constructivism. Nevertheless, this paper will start from another angle, that is, from the angle of Cognitive Pragmatics. With the guidance of Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory, the paper intends to explore the feasibility of using Relevance Theory in College English teaching and cultivation of students’ intercultural communicative competence. In addition, the paper also makes an attempt to put forward feasible methods to develop students’intercultural competence in College English teaching from the perspective of Relevance Theory.The main research questions of the paper are:(1) Is Cognitive Pragmatics, in particular, Relevance Theory, applicable in the cultivation of College English learners’intercultural communicative competence?(2) How to cultivate College English learners’intercultural communicative competence?The paper is assumed to hold heavy significance to the English teaching community. First of all, the theoretical guidance of the paper, in particular, the guidance of Relevance Theory is a bright new angle which has not been touched upon in cultivating students’intercultural communicative competence. Second, the writer not only gives detailed analyses of the feasibility of Relevance Theory in College English teaching, but also tries to put forward tentative suggestions for College English teachers to cultivate the intercultural communicative competence of the College English learners. It is believed that the inclusion of Relevance Theory, a cognitive pragmatic view, will give new inspiration to the researchers who are interested in the relevant issues.The whole paper is divided into six parts:The first chapter makes a brief introduction to the paper. It starts with the background of the research and is followed by the significance and methodology, as well as the layout of the paper.The second chapter serves as the literature review. In this part, the writer tries to give a retrospect of the previous literature at home and abroad on the topic of College English teaching and the cultivation of intercultural communicative competence of students.The third chapter is the theoretical framework. The writer will give us a brief picture of the concepts relevant to the paper such as culture, language, intercultural communicative competence, and Relevance Theory.The fourth chapter is the analysis of intercultural communicative competence of College English learners. The writer also lists the reasons behind the basis of the analysis.The fifth chapter acts as the key to the application. The writer has explored the feasibility of researching the cultivation of intercultural communicative competence under the guidance of Relevance Theory. Furthermore, the writer also makes an attempt to help English teachers cultivate student’s intercultural communicative competence.The final chapter concludes what has been explored in the previous parts. In addition, this chapter also tries to point out the defects and limitations of the paper while putting forth the direction ahead.