However, I can use this word with my teachers and collegues. In Kiswahili, the offical language of Tanzania and Kenya, greetings are very important as well. The age factor plays an important role. When one encounters a person who is older a respectful greeting form needs to be used or he or she will app ear rude and my even be reminded to greet properly. Greetings can also be lengthy and can include six to eight turns or even more.
Participants usually ask each other about their health, their jobs, and about their relatives.
Some learners of Kiswah ili may resist performing these lengthy greeting turns. Consequently, they may appear rude or unfriendly. They also miss getting more input for practice. Integrating pragmatics in the classroom will enbale learners to be more aware of cultural norms associated with language, their native language as well as the target one. As an MA student I think pragmatics is the very essence of language.