Your homework: (Mr. Smith is Mohammed's Teacher)
Mr. Smith: Do you know what to do for homework?
Mohammed: Yes, I think so.
Mr. Smith: So you understand how to do it?
Mohammed: Yes, sir.
Mr. Smith: Ok, great, I look forward to seeing your answers tomorrow.
Mohammed: Yes, thank you.
- Choose one dialog. Identify where the miscommunication occurs. Explain what each speaker might be thinking.
- Explain what cultural factors may contribute to the miscommunication in the conversation. Post your answers on the blog; be sure to identify which conversation you are referring to.
In the dialog above, on the surface there is nothing wrong with the conversation. However, I am led to believe that Mr. Smith was seeking assurance that Mohammed did, in fact, understand his homework. Although he did not receive it, it may be that in his culture, Mohammed is being respectful of his teacher’s time by not drawing out the conversation. He also truly may not understand, but feels like it may be shameful to admit so, and that it is his fault he does not understand. He may plan to meet his classmates later to ask them to explain everything to him.
The pithiness of Mohammed’s answers seems to violate Grice’s Conversation Maxim of Quantity. Had Mohammed been aware of this maxim, he may have given more information to his teacher so that his teacher would be reassured that he in fact had understood the assignment.
Mohammed also may have violated Grice’s Conversation Maxim of Quality if he in fact did not tell the truth and did not understand the homework.
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