Concept recognition deficiency among Palestinian learners of English vocabulary: cross-cultural communication

Abstract

Inasmuch the process of learning English by Palestinian students is fraught with cultural linguistic gaps, this study pinpoints the notion that Palestinian learners of English, as a source language (SL), misinterpret or misperceive some English words or expressions that are SL-culture oriented, assuming their easiness and simplicity, thus dispensing of English dictionary consultation. The study demonstrates that, in many cases, Palestinian learners fall in the trap of an assumed understanding of some relatively straightforward and familiar English words or expressions, but, actually, due to a lack of appropriate exposure to English culture, these English-culture bound words or expressions become unconsciously conceptually misperceived by the learners. To this end, students of basic English courses, particularly Palestinian students of Remedial English at An-Najah National University, with two classes of a representative sample of eighty students, are the subjects of the study. The authors will test students’ awareness of some words or expressions that they think students deem to be of relative easiness, but, in point of fact, they are cross-culturally problematic in the authors’ own perspective. Apart from the few examples with cross-culturally problematic words or expressions the authors will provide, the majority of examples are from the Remedial English course. The study concludes that Palestinian learners of English vocabulary and expressions really get tricked by these ostensibly easy words, mainly due to a cultural gap; therefore, it provides recommendations that would bridge the gap and enhance understanding and accommodation of the other.