Even with perfect grammar, we may unintentionally offend our conversational partner without using language in a socially acceptable manner. L2 learners need not only the knowledge of grammar and vocabulary but also pragmatic competence, or the ability to understand and use culturally appropriate language in a given social context. In this talk, we will discuss what pragmatics is, why it is important for effective intercultural communication, and how it can be taught/learned, as well as how the instruction can be grounded in multilingualism with translingual agency and hybridity in mind.

Bio:

Noriko Ishihara (PhD, University of Minnesota) is Professor of Applied Linguistics and (T)EFL at Hosei University and facilitates professional development of language teachers internationally with a focus on linguistic (im)politeness and intercultural awareness. Her research interests include instructional pragmatics, identity, culture, and peacemaking in language learning and teacher development. She has published Teaching and learning pragmatics: Where language and culture meet (2nd edition, 2022) and articles in Modern Language Journal, TESOL Quarterly, Language Awareness, and Multilingua among others.