Reading Across Boundaries: Cultural Conflicts and Remedies

Reading, according to Butterflies et al. (2020), is a cognitive process involving the decoding of written symbols to extract or construct meaning. However, from a pragmatist perspective, this notion is outdated and insufficient. Reading is no longer merely a passive act of decoding thoughts. Instead, it should be perceived as an active and dynamic interaction between the reader and the text. A student interpretation of a text is significantly influenced by their schemata, which includes cultural background knowledge, personal experiences, and prior understanding. This perspective does not discount the crucial role of linguistic knowledge in reading comprehension. Instead, it highlights the fact that cultural knowledge is equally essential for achieving a complete and genuine understanding of the text. Linguistic and cultural knowledge are interconnected and should not be viewed in isolation. When these elements are separated, the reader fails to grasp the full significance and richness of what they are reading, resulting in an incomplete and superficial interpretation. This paper argues that to fully comprehend a text, both linguistic and cultural contexts must be considered together, providing a holistic and meaningful reading experience for students. Article visualizations: