A study of pragmatic analysis of English textbooks for designing materials to develop crosscultural communicative competence

本研究的目的是：(1)基于跨文化语用学的理论成果分析日本现有的英语教科书；(2)从说话-听话人的权力、距离、强加等级等方面确定交际互动的一些特征；(3)为制定有助于培养跨文化交际能力的材料提出可能的指导方针。1999年，对日本高中英语口语交际A版教材的语用功能进行了调查，发现了日本人特有的一些跨文化行为特征。2000年，oca教科书与其他研究人员一起重新进行了仔细检查。根据前一年项目的调查结果，项目结果以数据库形式汇总。另外，为了与日本高中英语教材进行比较，采用了同样的调查方法，分析了美国和英国出版的部分ESL（英语作为第二语言）教材。结果发现：1)日本教科书提供的言语行为范围有限，特别是面对威胁的情况，如抱怨，极为有限；2)日本教科书呈现了地位平等者之间的对话情景，如学生之间的对话；相反，不同社会地位/权力的人之间很少；3) ESL教科书在“请求”实现方面提供的言语行为不一定比所分析的日语教科书更广泛，因此不能成为引入适当覆盖言语行为的适当模型。基于这些结果，我们提出了一些可能的指导方针，以开发跨文化交际能力的材料。

The aim of this research was (1) to analyze currently available English textbooks in Japan based on the theoretical findings of crosscultural pragmatics, (2) to identify some features in communicative interactions in terms of speaker-hearer power, distance, rank of imposition, and (3) to suggest possible guidelines in producing materials which will lead to develop crosscultural communicative competence.In 1999, some ten English Oral Communication A textbooks for senior high schools in Japan were investigated in terms of the use of pragmatic functions and this study succeeded in identifying some cross-cultural behavioral features specific to Japanese people. In 2000, the OC-A textbooks were carefully examined again with additional research associates. Based on the findings of previous year's project, the project results were summarized in a database form. Also, some ESL (English as a second language) materials published in U.S. and U.K. were analyzed with the same investigation procedure to compare with the Japanese high school English textbooks.As a result, the findings were threefold : 1) the Japanese textbooks provide a limited range of speech acts in particular, the face threatening situations such as complaining were extremely limited ; 2) the Japanese textbooks present conversational situations between status-equals such as between students ; in contrast, very few between people with different social status/power ; and 3) ESL textbooks do not necessarily provide a wider range of speech acts than the analyzed Japanese textbooks specifically in 'Request' realization and, therefore, they cannot become an adequate model in introducing appropriate coverage of speech acts. Based on these results, some possible guidelines were suggested to develop materials to develop cross-cultural communicative competence.