poland_
5 Nov 2012 / #1
New research from the University of Portsmouth could help English and Polish speakers to avoid cultural misunderstandings. The study, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), explains why common ways of expressing oneself in Polish can seem rude when used to form the basis for sentences in English.
Dr Jörg Zinken, senior lecturer at the University's psychology department, looked at common domestic situations and analysed how people asked family members to perform tasks. He found that whilst English speakers were more likely to use questions such as, "Can you pass the milk?", Polish speakers tended to use imperatives such as, "Pass the milk."
The English tendency to pose questions allows the request's recipient to feel a sense of autonomy. "Even if it is obvious that they will comply, by asking someone to do something rather than telling them, the English form gives the other person a choice," Dr Zinken explained.
scienceomega.com/article/181/linguistic-variations-demonstrate-cultural-differences
Dr Jörg Zinken, senior lecturer at the University's psychology department, looked at common domestic situations and analysed how people asked family members to perform tasks. He found that whilst English speakers were more likely to use questions such as, "Can you pass the milk?", Polish speakers tended to use imperatives such as, "Pass the milk."
The English tendency to pose questions allows the request's recipient to feel a sense of autonomy. "Even if it is obvious that they will comply, by asking someone to do something rather than telling them, the English form gives the other person a choice," Dr Zinken explained.
scienceomega.com/article/181/linguistic-variations-demonstrate-cultural-differences