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Developing social competence in complimenting behaviour among Indonesian learners of English

The study consists of five chapters. The first chapter
gives a brief description of how English as a foreign language is taught in Indonesia and the need to improve the
social competence of Indonesian speakers of English so that
they will be regarded as competent speakers in social
interaction. Language competence, including the notion of
linguistic competence, together with the notions of
communicative competence and social competence, is discussed
in the second chapter, since it underlies the language
learner's knowledge and ability to create and maintain a
harmonious atmosphere in social interaction. Furthermore,
the theory of communicative competence will include
competency in sociocultural rules of use which will specify
the ways in which utterances are produced and understood
appropriately with respect to the components of
communicative events outlined by Hymes. Speech act theory,
particularly as it relates to complimenting behaviour is
discussed.
Chapter three reviews research on complimenting behaviour
and considers some possible reasons why Indonesians do not
pay as many compliments as Australians do. Ways of
perceiving face - threatening acts and politeness are
related to different cultures with different social values
because of their different traditions, experience, ways of
development and ways of thinking. Developing from these
considerations of theory and research, the fourth chapter
describes the study project which deals with what counts as
a compliment in Indonesian and Australian English, what to
compliment about and how people compliment as well as how
people accept and respond to compliments. Analysis of some
problems caused by lack of awareness of the differences
between cultures and the effects of applying ones own
strategy in complimenting behaviour, leading to
misunderstanding, are also discussed. In the final chapter,
the results of the project suggest what Indonesian learners
of English need to be taught to help students develop social
competence in complimenting behaviour. Suggestions for
improving the social competence of Indonesian speakers of
English are made.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219342
Date January 1988
CreatorsSoenarso, Lany Idawati, n/a
PublisherUniversity of Canberra. Education
Source SetsAustraliasian Digital Theses Program
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Rights), Copyright Lany Idawati Soenarso

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