Pragmatics information in selected Business Chinese (BC) textbooks in the U.S.

Abstract

Pragmatic competence, the ability to conduct socially appropriate communication, plays an important role in influencing the success of business communication. This study examined the availability of explicit pragmatics information and related exercises in eight Business Chinese (BC) textbooks used in the U.S. institutions of higher education. The quantitative and qualitative findings showed that only a few textbooks explicitly listed pragmatics as a learning objective. Meanwhile, while explicit pragmatics information was provided in the BC textbooks, substantial variations were found across different subcategories of pragmatic features as well as across textbooks; moreover, the quantity of explicit pragmatics information and the ways of presenting and practicing various pragmatic features, as afforded by these textbooks, may not allow full-fledged development of pragmatic competence among learners.