pragmatics
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- PaperApplied Linguistics21 May 2026
Social perception of English irony: a comparison of L1 and L2 speakers
Kathrin Rothermich, Yunwen Su, Renuka Giles, Marc D Pell
Both first-language (L1) and second-language (L2) English speakers rated literal and positive statements as more polite and appropriate than ironic and negative ones in audio-visual conversations, but L2 speakers were less willing to use irony themselves. Sarcastic remarks were judged less polite than literal negative statements, challenging the Tinge Hypothesis that irony softens criticism. These findings advance understanding of intercultural pragmatics and L2 sociopragmatic development.
Original abstract
Irony plays an important role in social communication, but its perceived politeness and appropriateness can vary across linguistic backgrounds. This study investigated how first-language (L1) English speakers and advanced second-language (L2) English speakers (Chinese L1) evaluate ironic (sarcastic, teasing) versus literal statements in audio-visual conversations. Participants watched videos and rated them on politeness, appropriateness, and their own likelihood of using them. Stimuli differed by communicative intent (positive vs. negative) and delivery style (literal vs. ironic). Both groups judged literal and positive statements as more polite and appropriate than ironic and negative ones. However, L1 and L2 speakers differed in how willing they were to use irony themselves, with L1 speakers preferring literal over ironic remarks more strongly than L2 speakers. Sarcastic remarks were judged less polite than literal negative statements, contrary to predictions of the Tinge Hypothesis that irony softens criticism. Our findings show that paralinguistic cues shape irony evaluation and that L2 speakers interpret irony similarly to L1 speakers but are more cautious about using it themselves. These results advance the understanding of intercultural pragmatics and L2 sociopragmatic development.
- PaperRELC Journal30 Apr 2026
Pragmatics and transcultural communication through English as a lingua franca
Will Baker
This position paper argues that traditional cross-cultural and intercultural frameworks are insufficient for analyzing pragmatics in English as a lingua franca (ELF) interactions due to their dynamic and fluid nature. It proposes a transcultural communication perspective, aligned with translanguaging and transmodal theories, where participants move across cultural and linguistic borders, using emergent resources that index multiple scales simultaneously. The relevance of this approach for understanding, researching, and teaching pragmatics in ELF is discussed.
Original abstract
The deep connections between English, globalization and intercultural communication are now well established. Research in English as a lingua franca (ELF) has made clear that this is a multilingual use of English in which other linguistic and communicative resources are present and frequently a core part of the interaction. Furthermore, ELF studies have highlighted that pragmatic strategies are a central part of those communicative resources. Yet how to approach pragmatics within an ELF framework has not been straightforward. Cross-cultural perspectives comparing the norms of first language communication in relatively static communicative contexts have little relevance to the dynamic and fluid communicative practices of ELF. This has led scholars to adopt intercultural frameworks to conceptualizing and documenting pragmatics in ELF interactions in which cultures and languages, and the accompanying pragmatic strategies, are viewed as adaptable and hybridized. Nonetheless, there are limitations to such intercultural perspectives due to the range and complexity of communicative resources we see documented in the superdiverse settings of much ELF communication. It is not always possible to delineate which languages or cultures are being hybridized and adapted and the ‘inter’ of intercultural communication becomes problematic. Transcultural communication perspectives are a recent extension of intercultural communication research in which interactants are seen to move through and across (rather than in-between) cultural and linguistic borders. Transcultural perspectives align with translanguaging and transmodal theories with participants making use of their full range of communicative resources in a manner which transcends national borders. Communicative resources and references may simultaneously index multiple levels or scales from the local, to the global, without being fixed to any single scale and often involve the use of emergent resources and practices. In this brief position piece, I will discuss a transcultural communication approach and consider its relevance for understanding, researching and teaching pragmatics in ELF.