Kaur2017

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Kaur2017
BibType ARTICLE
Key Kaur2017
Author(s) Jagdish Kaur
Title Ambiguity related misunderstanding and clarity enhancing practices in ELF communication
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, English as a lingua franca, misunderstanding, ambiguity, explicitness strategies, parenthetical remarks
Publisher
Year 2017
Language
City
Month
Journal Intercultural Pragmatics
Volume 14
Number 1
Pages 25-47
URL Link
DOI https://doi.org/10.1515/ip-2017-0002
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

As research into the use of English as a lingua franca (ELF) intensifies, questions on the implications of the findings for English Language Teaching (ELT) are increasingly being raised. In this regard, research on misunderstanding in ELF has much to offer ELT practitioners. Awareness of what causes misunderstanding means that learners can be trained to take relevant measures to avoid the triggers that contribute to the problem. Among these, ambiguity has been identified as a major source of ELF misunderstanding. This article investigates further the role of ambiguity in triggering misunderstanding and examines some of the practices speakers employ to increase the explicitness of what they say. Based on conversation analytic procedures, speakers were found to enhance the clarity of their talk through the use of a parenthetical remark that provides illustration, description, definition, and comparison of similarity or dissimilarity. Learning activities that provide learners with opportunities to use the aforementioned can contribute to developing in learners the ability to communicate effectively in lingua franca settings.

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