Pragmatics of Intercultural Encounters
Some Practices Witnessed at an International Summer School
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58859/rael.v24i1.683Keywords:
international summer school, greetings and farewells, sensitive topics, intercultural pragmaticsAbstract
This paper delves into a particular academic context of a summer school, in which a truly international atmosphere permeated not only the acquisition of knowledge but also communicative exchanges through the medium of English in a bilingual region of Spain, Galicia1. The study is focusing on some pragmatic practices that can give us clues on how communication develops in such a multicultural setting, where different high- and low-context cultures meet. The clash of diverse cultures, additionally burdened with academic environment and the fact that communication is conducted in a foreign language require particular care on the part of those who communicate. Assuming that the factors listed might influence linguistic choices, the study aims to investigate the stands of the participants towards sensitive topics, as well as the pragmatic routine of greetings and farewells.
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