ABSTRACT
Communication breakdown between two incompatible P-languages is caused by lack of mutual understanding; the restoration of mutual understanding appears to render the doctrine of communication breakdown between two P-languages unsubstantiated. The philosophical foundation of the transmission model was established by John Locke's empirical epistemology. When effective understanding in abnormal discourse is incomplete, cross-language communication between two P-language communities is inevitably also partial. A bilingual should be able to understand, speak, use each language, as well as to think, reason, and act in terms of each language. Obviously, understanding is no longer a problem for a bilingual in cross-language communication. A bilingual should be able to understand, speak, use each language, as well as to think, reason, and act in terms of each language. The achievement of a bilingual understands; but understanding is only part of communication. The transmission model of communication, which is propositional by nature, does presuppose propositional understanding while the dialogue model does not.
