Self Mentions as Distinct Speech Codes in English Language Use in Intercultural Communication

Abstract

As an international language, English has been widely used in intercultural verbal communication. However, nonnative English users with different cultural backgrounds, influenced by their culturally situated norms of encoding and decoding messages, tend to convey culture-specific messages in the nonnative form (Kachru, 1984). Consequently, misunderstanding may occur. Applying Gerry Philipsen’s speech codes theory, this paper attempts to illustrate how a nonnative English speaker encodes her culturally-situated messages in email with an American native speaker hired to teach English at a university in China for one academic year. Specifically, an analysis of data consisting of email exchanges and informal interviews with both subjects shows how the native Chinese speaker’s use of first person pronouns (i.e., self mention) constitutes one major source of misunderstanding between her and the American professor. Implications of the findings for enhancing intercultural understanding and suggestions for further research are also discussed.

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