PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE IN CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF HUMOUR IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK

Abstract

Humor serves as one of the most intricate and culturally embedded aspects of language, requiring not only linguistic proficiency but also pragmatic competence. This study investigates the use of humor in English and Uzbek with a focus on its role in cross-cultural communication. It seeks to understand how pragmatic competence facilitates comprehension, interpretation, and appropriate use of humor across cultures. Drawing on theories of pragmatics, intercultural communication, and humor studies, the research employs a comparative methodology, combining discourse analysis of authentic humorous texts with semi-structured interviews of bilingual speakers. Results indicate that humor in English is often driven by wordplay, irony, and conversational implicature, while Uzbek humor relies heavily on cultural allusions, situational irony, and proverbs. Findings reveal that pragmatic breakdowns occur when humor is transferred across cultures without adequate contextual framing. The study highlights the necessity of incorporating pragmatic instruction into EFL pedagogy to enhance learners’ intercultural communicative competence.