Strategies for Teaching Chinese Pragmatics to Thai Learners
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Abstract
This academic article aims to fulfill three main objectives: (1) to propose the concepts and theories derived from studying the linguistic and cultural characteristics of Chinese Pragmatics; (2) to present the problems and obstacles identified through the pragmatic analysis of Thai learners of Chinese; and (3) to propose appropriate teaching strategies for Chinese Pragmatics for Thai learners, focusing on developing the ability to use the Chinese language accurately and appropriately according to socio-cultural contexts.The study findings reveal that Chinese Pragmatics possesses distinct characteristics that reflect Chinese social values, such as: (1) the emphasis on Face; (2) the Principle of Politeness; (3) the use of Indirect Speech; (4) High-context Communication; and (5) Group Harmony. These characteristics are distinctly different from Thai social norms. The main problem among Thai learners stems from Pragmatic Failure, which is caused by four key factors: (1) negative transfer from the mother tongue; (2) negative transfer from culture; (3) lack of in-depth linguistic knowledge; and (4) lack of a real communicative environment.
To address these issues, the article proposes three pedagogical principles: (1) the accuracy, practicality, and modernity of the content; (2) systematic, step-by-step instruction; and (3) appropriate grouping of learners. Furthermore, five specific teaching strategies are suggested: (1) Comparative Instruction; (2) Integration of Culture into Teaching; (3) Instruction using Simulated Situations; (4) Integration of Pragmatics Instruction with Other Language Skills; and (5) Integration of Social Media as a Real-World Data Repository. The latter aims to encourage learners to observe, analyze, and comprehend authentic language usage patterns. The conclusion indicated that the Comparative Instruction strategy was the most effective in reducing pragmatic failures among Thai learners and efficiently promoting their cross-cultural communication competence.
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