ABSTRACT
This chapter studies the teaching and learning of phatic communion within the framework of a critical pedagogy. This is examined with respect to communicative competence (Canale & Swain, 1980; Hymes, 1972) and addresses the need for the additional development of phatic sensitivity and phatic competence. Critical pedagogy embraces exploratory, confirmatory and consolidatory aspects of social talk and relational engagement (Laver, 1975). Consideration is given to how to bridge relational ‘gaps’ (Aston, 1988) with respect to achieving rapport, supportiveness, solidarity, etc. A key and elusive aspect in achieving successful foreign language (FL) phatic talk involves negotiating likeability and how to deal with strained relationships. The focus of research in this chapter centres on the participants’ perceived importance in teaching small talk and whether they actually teach it in their EFL classrooms. Results indicate that this is a seriously neglected pedagogical aspect in the Mexican EFL context and perhaps across English language teaching (ELT) generally.
