Teaching ‘Misunderstanding of Communication’ in the EFL Classroom: The Gricean Approach

Abstract

When humans communicate, there is possibility that communication can be misinterpreted and misunderstood. It happens due to social, cultural and contextual variety of people. Through the pedagogical method of using Facebook fads this research evaluates different reasons for miscommunication. It is also evident in this paper that how students make sense of a variety of memes and fads make them relevant to a variety of situations. In this study different methods are employed to analyse the fundamental reason for misinterpretation while having a conversation. It includes context, idioms and embedded intent. This research is closely linked with Thomas’s (1983) idea of pragmatic failure. It also complements the study of Grice (1975) when one talks about conversational excellence. This study accentuates the contextual significance in communication. The study also emphasises the potential of memes to connect classroom learning with authentic communication. Therefore, the educators can improve students’ practical capability and prepare them for real-life cross- cultural interactions by incorporating memes into EFL instruction. Finally, this study provides the growing discourse on digital literacy in language education, providing pragmatic insights for teaching communication skills in a globalised world.

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