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Welcome to the BESIG World Blog. Each month we’ve got a different guest author lined up who will be sharing thoughts and experiences on teaching business English from countries around the globe.

Chia Suan Chong: Politeness, Pragmatics and her Journey in ELF

17 February 2012 BESIG
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The BESIG World Blog welcomes Chia Suan Chong. Chia is a General English teacher, Business English teacher and teacher trainer at International House in London. She is a twitter addict, an active blogger and a regular at ELT conferences.

Chia presented an online weekend workshop on Politeness and Pragmatics in ELF in February 2012 (recording available here for members). This weekend workshop was very well-received by the fifty-five participants from sixteen countries who attended and also generated a lot of comment and discussion in the blogosphere about how politeness varies from culture to culture and how we, as Business English teachers, should be raising our learners´ awareness of how to interact "politely" in order to be successful international communicators.

In this interview, Chia gives us some more insights into politeness, pragmatics and ELF in the context of Business English and gives us a preview of the presentation she´ll be giving on her journey in ELF at the BESIG Pre-Conference Event at IATEFL Glasgow 2012.  Chia Suan Chong blogs at http://chiasuanchong.wordpress.com.

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  • Benjamin - 17 February 2012

    I agree that empathy should be a big part of the language learning classroom.  Helping ELLs develop the proper habits of mind (i.e., knowing what to do when you don't know what to do) that make them sensitive to perspective, for example, might also be useful.  The challenge in addressing the different pragmatic aspects of language that an ELL might encounter is real, but if ELLs are sensitive to some areas of situated language environments, perhaps they will have the disposition to look beyond language when communicating with others.  Let's enrich learner dispositions.  If ELLs can gain an appreciation of pragmatic and respectful forms of communication in one context, the hope is that they will at least be aware and seek proper pragmatic and respectful forms of communication in other contexts.  Teaching at the metacognitive level, we might put ELLs in situations where they would have to figure out what's polite language instead of "front-loading" information in a typical linear fashion.  I would opt to help ELLs to become aware, detect, notice, etc. the pragmatics of language via both authentic and "staged" (safe) learning environments so they receive the practice they need to grow appropriate habits of mind.   

    -Benjamin

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