The Pragmatics of Intercultural Communicative Competence - (Languages for Intercultural Communication and Education) by J César Félix-Brasdefer

About the Book

This book presents a pragmatic perspective on the development of intercultural communicative competence by language learners in the foreign language classroom and in study abroad contexts. The book concludes with a reflection on what it means to be an intercultural speaker and the benefits for the learner of developing intercultural competence.

Book Synopsis

This book presents a pragmatic perspective on the development of intercultural communicative competence and intercultural understanding by language learners in the foreign language classroom and in study abroad contexts. Using data from role-play interactions, intercultural episodes and student reflections, including both US learners of Spanish and multilingual learners of other languages, the book examines how a focus on pragmatics and metapragmatic awareness aids the development of intercultural competence. It also addresses current topics such as intercultural impoliteness, the negotiation of and reflection on speech acts at the discourse level, pragmatic competence, agency and pragmatic resistance. The book concludes with a reflection on what it means to be an intercultural speaker along with suggestions for both teaching and assessment.

Review Quotes

In this inspiring book César Félix-Brasdefer masterfully assembles diverse fields and principles in his theory-building, commendably illustrating how to teach and assess intercultural and pragmatic competence in today's interconnected world. This book is a must-read for teachers and researchers who wish to cultivate language learners' abilities to connect with people across cultural boundaries.-- "Naoko Taguchi, Northern Arizona University, USA"

This groundbreaking book redefines Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) and second language (L2) pragmatics, emphasizing the dynamic interplay of language, culture, and identity. By focusing on meaning-making, reflexivity, and learner agency, the book reveals how learners use language to convey identity, social norms, and cultural expectations, shaped by their unique knowledge and experiences. Essential for educators, researchers, and policymakers, this transformative work offers a much-needed fresh perspective on language education in a globalized world.-- "Javier Muñoz-Basols, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain and University of Oxford, UK"

Written by a foremost expert on the acquisition and use of second language (L2) pragmatics, this comprehensive work on intercultural pragmatics in interactions examines aspects such as critical reflection and co-construction of communication in contexts of classroom talk and study abroad. It addresses fundamental issues of intercultural competence, understanding, and resistance.-- "Dale Koike, University of Texas at Austin, USA"

About the Author

J. César Félix-Brasdefer is Professor of Spanish Linguistics, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA. His research focuses on intercultural pragmatics, pragmatic variation, second language pragmatics and research methods in pragmatics. Among other publications, he is the author of The Language of Service Encounters: A Pragmatic-Discursive Approach (2015, Cambridge University Press) and co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of Spanish Pragmatics (with D. Koike, 2021, Routledge).