This document discusses context and culture in communication. It defines context as factors outside a communication that are relevant to its interpretation, such as situation, cultural knowledge, and relationships between speakers. Discourse analysis studies how language is perceived as meaningful based on context. Culture includes conventions, values and beliefs behind communication. Cross-cultural communication occurs between different communities and affects fields like translation, where understanding context and culture is important for conveying accurate meaning. Teaching language and culture can also differ based on the language and ideologies involved.

1. Context and Culture
Chapter 6
Context and Culture
Chapter 6
Compiled by:
- Aprilia Aulia (1488203004)
-Indah Tri Lestari(1488203017)
Lecture: Eka Agustina, M.Pd
6th
semester
Compiled by:
- Aprilia Aulia (1488203004)
-Indah Tri Lestari(1488203017)
Lecture: Eka Agustina, M.Pd
6th
semester

2. A. Context
• Context is factors
outside a stretch of
language under
consideration but
relevant to its
interpretation, e.g the
situation, paralinguistic
communication, cultural
knowledge, other texts,
or other part of the
some texts.
• The factors are many, there
are :
– Involved in interpreting a
real encounter: tone of
voice and facial expression
– The relationship between
speakers
– Their age, sex, and social
status
– Time and place
– The degree to which
speakers do or do not
share the same cultural
background

3. Systematizing context: discourse
analysis• discourse analysis is
the study of how
stretches of
language in context
are perceived as
meaningful and
unified by their
users. Three areas of
study which
contribute to this
field are:
– paralanguage
– pragmatics
– genre studies.
• Paralanguage
– when we speak and not communicate
through words.
– language cannot be used for
communication without paralanguage.
Pragmatics is the discipline which studies the
knowledge and procedures which enable
people to understand each other’s words
Genre defined by the applied linguist John
Swales as a class of communicative events
which share some set of communicative
purposes.

4. Definition of Culture
Culture is the
conventions and
procedures, including
those related to
paralanguage,
pragmatics, and genre,
together with values,
beliefs which lie
behind them, are
elements of cultural
knowledge.
• cross-cultural
communication
It is communication
between members of
different national or
ethnic communities.
• Related to Applied
linguistics
It is related in
many ways, for
example, language
planning, foreign
language education,
and translation (In a
monolingual setting).
B. CULTURE

5. What is considered to
be cross-cultural?
• Clinical Linguistics:
deals with
individuals whose
communication needs
involve more than one
language and more than
one set of cultural
procedures.
• Language use in
workplace and law
courts:
communication
involves members of
different communities.
Communication
across different
groups with different
knowledge and values
can be conceived of as
being cross-cultural.
• Examples:
– Generations
– Social classes
– The two sexes
– Sexual orientation

6. Translation and applied
Linguistics
• It is impossible to translate a text
from one language to another
using the same phrase structure,
voice, and meaning at the same
time.
• A translator has to choose which
effect to achieve through
translation (literal translation, or
a smooth, flowing text that
communicate the same
meaning).
• Culture has to be understood to
be able to translate from one
culture to another.
Example:
– In English the word “you” can be
translated to French but the
translator has to decide
between the following:
– Vous formal second-person
pronoun
– Tu informal second-person
pronoun
Example
– Translation of news headlines
between Arabic and English.
Which one do they use? Why?
The word “martyrdom” or
“Shahada”
Translation, culture, and
context

7. Translation, culture,
and context
• For translators, decisions had to be made all the
time on what structure to use, what meaning to
convey and effect to be added to get well
understood text. A knowledge of context and
culture is necessary.
• Why don’t we rely on Machines to translate for us?
The human factor that understands culture and
context is missing.

8. Teaching Culture
• It has long been that the
teaching of culture is related
to language teaching.
However, there are
differences.
• Example:
– If you want to learn Chinese.
Then, you already have some
interest in the Chinese culture
and you will be willing to learn
it.
• How about English?
– Because of its Lingua franca
status, English is viewed
differently.
• Different ideologies may
reject a culture while in need
of learning the language
(teaching English in Saudi
Arabia).
• Applied linguistics doesn’t
interfere in such issues. But,
it would try to give informed
insights to help those who
will have the obligation to
make such decisions.