THE ROLE OF BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE IN DISCOURSE RECEPTION AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LINGUOCULTUROLOGY

Abstract

The relationship between language and culture has long been a subject of extensive research among linguists and cultural scholars, particularly in the domains of discourse reception and intercultural communication. In contrast to the traditional views positioning intercultural communication as a subset of discourse reception, this study approaches these two areas as distinct yet closely interconnected concepts, both of which are shaped by background knowledge. This paper analyzes the pivotal role of background knowledge in communication from the perspective of linguoculturology – a field that explores how culture governs and shapes language, discourse, and communication (Tran Ngoc Them, 2021). Within this framework, background knowledge functions both as input and as an intangible output produced during the communicative act, facilitating mutual understanding and cultural adaptability among interlocutors in multicultural contexts.