Pragmatics Application Questions

2) #2 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.

     After reading this conversation, one can tell there is miscommunication because of cultural differences. Although Mohammed may think he is being direct with Mr. Smith, I believe Mr. Smith does not understand the message that Mohammed is trying to convey. When Mohammed says, “Yes, I think so,” he probably means that he really does not understand the homework. In Mohammed’s culture, it is probably not the norm to say “no” if a person does not understand something. Mr. Smith thinks that Mohammed knows what he is supposed to do because he told him “yes”. The conversation closes when Mohammed says, “Yes, thank you.” Perhaps he thinks that Mr. Smith will excuse him from the homework or give him more time to do it since he believes that Mr. Smith knows he does not understand the homework. Mr. Smith needs to realize that because people from different cultures express themselves through varying degrees of directness, he cannot always assume his students mean “yes” when they reply by saying “Yes, I think so” or “Yes, maybe.”