1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. International Journal of Language and Culture
  4. Volume 7, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 7, Issue 1
  • ISSN 2214-3157
  • E-ISSN: 2214-3165
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

This paper combines central ideas from Intercultural Pragmatics and Cultural Linguistics to rethink an issue that has been amply discussed in various branches of linguistics: idioms, ‘phrasemes,’ and other forms of fixed-form figurative language, when used in intercultural communication (ICC). It argues that an interaction-oriented approach needs to think beyond the description and mapping of idioms in different languages and cultures, and apply both pragmatic and cognitive linguistic approaches to explain if and how idiomatic language works (or does not work) in ICC. Methodologically, this paper relies on a combination of empirical approaches. A data-inductive analysis of authentic intercultural discourse involving native speakers of German, Afrikaans, and Zulu, who use English as a lingua franca in a project management setting provides interesting real-life examples of the pragmatic aspects of idiomatic language in authentic ICC. The results of this pragmalinguistic analysis have inspired and are accompanied by a deductive-experimental study, using questionnaires for speakers of various native languages (Arabic, German, Russian, Spanish, Turkish), testing the cross-linguistic communicability of English idioms in a ‘laboratory setting.’ These experiments show that an appreciation of both the embodied and empractic-interactional dimensions of idioms promises insights into how figurative language and fixed-form expressions are used successfully or unsuccessfully in ICC and why.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/ijolc.00026.sen
2020-07-08
2024-12-13

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/ijolc.00026.sen
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Belkhir, S.
    (2014) Cultural influence on the use of dogs in English and Kabyle proverbs. InA. Musolff, F. Macarthur, & G. Pagani (Eds.), Metaphor and intercultural communication. (pp.131–145) London; New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Bublitz, Wolfram & Neal R. Norrick
    (2011) Introduction: the burgeoning field of pragmatics. InW. Bublitz & N. R. Norrick (Eds.), Foundations of pragmatics, (pp.1–20). Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110214260.1
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110214260.1 [Google Scholar]
  3. Bühler, K.
    (2011 [1934]) Theory of language: the representational function of language. (D. F. Goodwin & A. Eschbach, Trans.). Amsterdam, Philadelphia: Benjamins. 10.1075/z.164
     https://doi.org/10.1075/z.164 [Google Scholar]
  4. Bührig, K., & Thije, J. D. ten
    (Eds.) (2006) Beyond misunderstanding: Linguistic analyses of intercultural communication. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: Benjamins. 10.1075/pbns.144
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.144 [Google Scholar]
  5. Clark, H. H.
    (1996) Using language. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511620539
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511620539 [Google Scholar]
  6. Davis, W. A.
    (2016) Irregular negatives, implicatures, and idioms. New York, NY: Springer. 10.1007/978‑94‑017‑7546‑5
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7546-5 [Google Scholar]
  7. Dijk, T. A. van
    (2014) Discourse and knowledge: A sociocognitive approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781107775404
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107775404 [Google Scholar]
  8. Ehlich, K.
    (2011) Sprache und sprachliches Handeln. Berlin: De Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Farlex idioms & slang dictionary
    Farlex idioms & slang dictionary (2017) Parteen: Farlex International.
  10. Gibbs, R. W.
    (1986) Skating on thin ice: Literal meaning and understanding idioms in conversation. Discourse Processes, 9(1), 17–30. 10.1080/01638538609544629
     https://doi.org/10.1080/01638538609544629 [Google Scholar]
  11. (2014) Why idioms are not dead metaphors. InC. Cacciari, P. Tabossi, & C. Cacciari (Eds.), Idioms: Processing, structure, and interpretation (pp.57–77). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Gibbs, R. W., & Colston, H. L.
    (2017) The emergence of common ground. InR. Giora & M. Haugh (Eds.), Doing pragmatics interculturally: Cognitive, philosophical, and sociopragmatic perspectives (pp.13–30). Boston, Berlin: de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110546095‑002
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110546095-002 [Google Scholar]
  13. Gibbs, R. W., & O’Brien, J. E.
    (1990) Idioms and mental imagery: The metaphorical motivation for idiomatic meaning. Cognition, 36, 35–68. 10.1016/0010‑0277(90)90053‑M
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(90)90053-M [Google Scholar]
  14. Gibson, R.
    (2002) Intercultural business communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Glucksberg, S., & McGlone, M. S.
    (2001) Understanding figurative language: From metaphors to idioms. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195111095.001.0001
     https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195111095.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  16. Goatly, A.
    (2007) Washing the brain – metaphor and hidden ideology. Amsterdam: Benjamins. 10.1075/dapsac.23
     https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.23 [Google Scholar]
  17. Griffin, F.
    (2004) Idioms and back translation. Business Communication Quarterly, 67(4), 455–464. 10.1177/1080569904270987
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569904270987 [Google Scholar]
  18. Kecskés, I.
    (2003) Situation-bound utterances in L1 and L2. Berlin, New York: de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110894035
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110894035 [Google Scholar]
  19. (2010) The paradox of communication: Socio-cognitive approach to pragmatics. Pragmatics and Society, 1(1), 50–73. 10.1075/ps.1.1.04kec
     https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.1.1.04kec [Google Scholar]
  20. (2012) Encyclopaedic knowledge and cultural models. InH.-J. Schmid (Ed.), Cognitive pragmatics (pp.175–197). Berlin, Boston: de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110214215.175
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110214215.175 [Google Scholar]
  21. (2014) Intercultural Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Kecskés, I., & Zhang, F.
    (2009) Activating, seeking, and creating common ground: A socio-cognitive approach. Pragmatics & Cognition, 17(2), 331–355. 10.1075/pc.17.2.06kec
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pc.17.2.06kec [Google Scholar]
  23. Konerding, K.-P.
    (2015) Sprache und Wissen. InE. Felder & A. Gardt (Eds.), Handbuch Sprache und Wissen (pp.57–80). Berlin, Boston: de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Kövecses, Z.
    (2006) Language, mind, and culture: A practical introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M.
    (2010 [1999]) Philosophy in the flesh: The embodied mind and its challenge to Western thought. New York, NY: Basic Books.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Langacker, R. W.
    (2008) Foundations of cognitive grammar. Vol. 1: Theoretical prerequisites (Repr.). Stanford: Stanford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331967.001.0001
     https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331967.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  27. Leavitt, J.
    (2015) Linguistic relativity: Precursors and transformations. InF. Sharifian (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of language and culture (pp.18–30). London, New York: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Lee, W. S.
    (1994) On not missing the boat: A processual method for inter/cultural understanding of idioms and lifeworld. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 22(2), 141–161. 10.1080/00909889409365394
     https://doi.org/10.1080/00909889409365394 [Google Scholar]
  29. Mey, J.
    (2001) Pragmatics: An introduction (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Musolff, A., Macarthur, F., & Pagani, G.
    (Eds.) (2014) Metaphor and intercultural communication. London, New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Redder, A.
    (2008) Functional Pragmatics. InG. Antos, E. Ventola, & T. Weber (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal communication (pp.133–178). Berlin, New York: de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Sabban, A.
    (2007) Culture-boundedness and problems of cross-cultural phraseology. InH. Burger (Ed.), Phraseologie: ein internationales Handbuch zeitgenössischer Forschung / Phraseology: an international handbook of contemporary research (pp.590–605). Berlin: De Gruyter Reference Global. 10.1515/9783110171013.590
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110171013.590 [Google Scholar]
  33. (2008) Critical observations on the culture-boundness of phraseology. InS. Granger & F. Meunier (Eds.), Phraseology: An interdisciplinary perspective (pp.229–241). Amsterdam, Philadelphia: Benjamins. 10.1075/z.139.21sab
     https://doi.org/10.1075/z.139.21sab [Google Scholar]
  34. Schlickau, S.
    (2017) Argumentieren im Wissenschaftsumfeld: Beobachtungen aus interkultureller Projektkommunikation. InK. Bührig & S. Schlickau (Eds.), Argumentieren und diskutieren (pp.177–190). Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Senkbeil, K.
    (2017) Figurative language in intercultural communication – a case study of German-Southern African international academic discourse. Intercultural Pragmatics, 14(4), 465–491. 10.1515/ip‑2017‑0022
     https://doi.org/10.1515/ip-2017-0022 [Google Scholar]
  36. (2021) Knowledge in intercultural pragmatics: A cognitive-functional perspective. Unpublished manuscript.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Senkbeil, K., & da Silva, V.
    (2017) Widerspruch und Widerstand: Konfliktäres sprachliches Handeln in interkulturellen Arbeitsgruppen. Eine linguistisch-kulturwissenschaftliche Perspektive. InK. Bührig & S. Schlickau (Eds.), Argumentieren und diskutieren (pp.105–144). Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Senkbeil, K., & Hoppe, N.
    (2016) ‘The sickness stands at your shoulder ...’: Embodiment and cognitive metaphor in Hornbacher’s Wasted: A memoir of anorexia and bulimia. Language and Literature, 25(1), 3–17. 10.1177/0963947015608084
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0963947015608084 [Google Scholar]
  39. Sharifian, F.
    (2011) Cultural conceptualisations and language. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: Benjamins. 10.1075/clscc.1
     https://doi.org/10.1075/clscc.1 [Google Scholar]
  40. (Ed.) (2017a) Advances in Cultural Linguistics. Singapore: Springer. 10.1007/978‑981‑10‑4056‑6
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4056-6 [Google Scholar]
  41. (2017b) Cultural Linguistics and linguistic relativity. Language Sciences, 59, 83–92. 10.1016/j.langsci.2016.06.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2016.06.002 [Google Scholar]
  42. Spears, R. A.
    (2006) McGraw-Hills dictionary of American idioms and phrasal verbs. New York: McGraw-Hill.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Thije, J. D. ten
    (2003) The transition from misunderstanding to understanding in intercultural communication. InL. I. Komlosi, P. Houtlosser, & M. Leezenberg (Eds.), Communication and culture: Argumentative, cognitive and linguistic perspectives (pp.197–214). Amsterdam: Sic Sac.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Thije, J. D. ten & Koole, T.
    (2001) The reconstruction of intercultural discourse: Methodological considerations. Journal of Pragmatics, 33(4), 571–587. 10.1016/S0378‑2166(00)00035‑7
     https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-2166(00)00035-7 [Google Scholar]
  45. Tomasello, M.
    (2008) Origins of human communication. Cambridge: MIT Press. 10.7551/mitpress/7551.001.0001
     https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/7551.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  46. (Ed.) (2014) The new psychology of language: Cognitive and functional approaches to language structure (Classic Edition). New York, London: Psychology Press, Taylor & Francis Group.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Verschueren, J.
    (1999) Understanding pragmatics. London, New York: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Verschueren, J., & Blommaert, J.
    (Eds.) (1991) The pragmatics of international and intercultural communication. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: Benjamins.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Wilson, M.
    (2002) Six views of embodied cognition. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 9(4), 625–636. 10.3758/BF03196322
     https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196322 [Google Scholar]
  50. Wolf, H.-G., & Polzenhagen, F.
    (2006) Intercultural communication in English – arguments for a cognitive approach to intercultural pragmatics. Intercultural Pragmatics3(3), 285–321. 10.1515/IP.2006.018
     https://doi.org/10.1515/IP.2006.018 [Google Scholar]
  51. Yu, N.
    (2008) Metaphor from body and culture. InR. W. Gibbs (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of metaphor and thought (pp.247–261). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511816802.016
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511816802.016 [Google Scholar]
  52. (2017) life as opera: A cultural metaphor in Chinese. InF. Sharifian (Ed.), Advances in Cultural Linguistics (pp.65–87). Singapore: Springer. 10.1007/978‑981‑10‑4056‑6_4
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4056-6_4 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/ijolc.00026.sen
Loading
Idioms in intercultural communication
International Journal of Language and Culture 7, 38 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1075/ijolc.00026.sen
/content/journals/10.1075/ijolc.00026.sen
/content/journals/10.1075/ijolc.00026.sen
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): embodiment; English as a lingua franca (ELF); figurative language; idioms; intercultural communication

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error