Addressing Difficult Situations in Foreign-Language Learning

By constructing a student-centred pedagogical model around the data collected, the author considers the choices available to language learners in difficult situations, as well as tools for language learners to develop pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic resources.

Gerrard Mugford is a Senior Lecturer in the Modern Languages Department at the Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico.

Introduction 1. Choice: Importance of face and stance 2. Facing up to difficult situations: confronting confusion 3. Impoliteness: positionality and adopting a stance 4. Hostile and aggressive situations: formulating a response 5. Pedagogy: raising awareness and stance-taking Conclusions Appendix 1: Questionnaire: Negative Incidents Appendix 2. Questionnaire: Impolite / Rude Incidents Appendix 3. Questionnaire: Hostile Incidents References