Disagreeing with your professor: Exploring Chinese and American graduate students’ intercultural pragmatic strategies

Authors

  • Chencen Cai The Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
  • Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth Department of Teaching and Learning, New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
  • Timothy John Ebsworth Department of Bilingual Education, TESOL, and World Languages, Kean University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v14i4.6838

Keywords:

intercultural awareness and competence, intercultural pragmatics, cross-cultural communication, critical incidents

Abstract

As American universities become increasingly diverse, students often encounter cross-cultural challenges. Chinese students represent one of the most substantial international U.S. student communities, with distinctive pragmatic norms and values. This study investigates Chinese international and American graduate students’ intercultural pragmatic strategies towards a face-threatening critical incident: expressing disagreement to a professor. Our mixed-methods design revealed quantitative and qualitative differences in participants’ strategies and judgments of alternatives, demonstrating distinctive underlying norms and values. Many American participants preferred to express different opinions in class, while Chinese students privileged more indirect options, though each group included participants with alternate preferences. Implications for cross-cultural communication and pedagogy are offered.

Author Biographies

  • Chencen Cai, The Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
    CHENCEN CAI, PhD, is a Lecturer from the Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China. She earned her TESOL PhD from New York University. Winner of the NABE Dissertation Award in 2021, her publications include research on second language acquisition, language variation, and cross-cultural communication.
  • Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, Department of Teaching and Learning, New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
    MIRIAM EISENSTEIN EBSWORTH, PhD, is Academic Director of the ISEP English program for families of International Students at New York University and is Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning. She received her PhD in linguistics from the CUNY Graduate Center. A contributor to the Actionthroughwords website of the UN Language Programme, she has received the 2024 AERA Bilingual Education Research Sig Lifetime Award and has published widely in language and technology, intercultural pragmatics, and bilingualism.
  • Timothy John Ebsworth, Department of Bilingual Education, TESOL, and World Languages, Kean University

    TIMOTHY JOHN EBSWORTH, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor of Second Language Education at Kean University and former chair of the Master’s programs in Multilingual Multicultural Education at the College of New Rochelle. He received his PhD in TESOL at New York University. He was Vice President of New York State TESOL. His publications focus on intercultural communication, attitudes of second language teachers and learners, and L2 writing.

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Published

2024-08-23

How to Cite

Disagreeing with your professor: Exploring Chinese and American graduate students’ intercultural pragmatic strategies. (2024). Journal of International Students, 14(4), 1064-1085. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v14i4.6838