NATIVE AND NONNATIVE SPEAKERS PRAGMATIC INTERPRETATIONS OF ENGLISH TEXTS

Cultural differences in writing conventions complicate the process of learning to write in an L2. This study highlights some of the differences between writing conventions accepted in discourse traditions influenced by Confucian and Taoist precepts and those accepted in the U.S. academic environment. The study compares native-speaker (NS) and nonnative-speaker (NNS) evaluations of four short essays, two written by NSs and two by advanced ESL learners. In terms commonly used in the teaching of L2 academic writing (e.g. a text's purpose and audience, specificity, clarity, and adequate support), there was tittle similarity between NS and NNS judgment. The effects of this disparity on L2 learners' pragmatic interpretations and practical applications of L2 writing conventions are examined and pedagogical implications are discussed.