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

本研究的目的是（1）根据跨文化语用学的理论成果分析日本现行的英语教科书，（2）从说者-听者的权势、距离、强加等级等方面确定交际互动中的一些特征，（3）提出制作材料的可能指导方针，以培养跨文化交际能力。本研究对日本十本高中英语口语交际A教材中语用功能的使用情况进行了调查，并成功地发现了一些日本人特有的跨文化行为特征。2000年，OC-A教科书再次与其他研究人员一起仔细审查。根据前一年项目的调查结果，以数据库形式总结了项目成果。此外，在美国和英国出版的一些ESL（英语作为第二语言）材料。结果发现：1）日本高中英语教材中的言语行为范围有限，尤其是抱怨等面子威胁情景极为有限; 2）日本高中英语教材中的会话情景主要是学生之间的对话;与此相反，不同社会地位/权力的人之间的言语行为很少; 3）ESL教科书不一定比所分析的日语教科书提供更广泛的言语行为，特别是在“请求”实现方面，因此，它们不能成为适当介绍言语行为的适当覆盖的适当模式。根据这些结果，作者提出了一些可能的指导方针，以开发材料，以发展跨文化交际能力。

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.