This paper demonstrates how cultural differences are reflected in the characteristic conventions of language and its use in different linguistic communities. The data are drawn from the non-native varieties of English — both institutionalized and performance (B. Kachru 1985). It is shown that in order to interpret such texts at an optimum level, readers need three types of competence: linguistic, cultural, and textual (Beaugrande 1980). The theoretical implications of discourse strategies adopted by non-native speakers of English to second language acquisition research, especially as they relate to research on ESL, are pointed out.
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