Inasmuch the process of learning English by Palestinian students is fraught with cultural linguistic gaps, this study pinpoints the notion that Palestinian learners of English, as a source language (SL), misinterpret or misperceive some English words or expressions that are SL- culture oriented, assuming easiness and simplicity of them, thus dispensing of English dictionary consultation. The study demonstrates that, in many cases, Palestinian learners fall in trap of an assumed understanding of some relatively straightforward and familiar English words or expressions, but, actually, due to a lack of appropriate exposure to English culture, these English-culture bound words or expressions become unconsciously conceptually misperceived by the learners. To this end, students of Basic English courses, particularly, Palestinian students of Remedial English at An-Najah National University, with a class of a representative sample of forty students, are the hit of the study. The authors will test students’ awareness of some words or expressions that they think students deem to be of relative easiness, but, in point of fact, they are cross-culturally problematic in the researchers’ own perspective. Apart from the few examples with cross-culturally problematic words or expressions the authors will provide, the majority of examples are from the Remedial English course. The study concludes that Palestinian learners of English vocabulary and expressions really get tricked by these ostensibly easy words, mainly due a cultural gap; therefore, it provides recommendations that would bridge the gap and enhance understanding and accommodation of the other.

Title

Abdul-Rahman Qadan &Ekrema Shehab

Publisher

Onomazein

Publisher Country

Finland

Indexing

Thomson Reuters

Impact Factor

0.75

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

59

Year

2023

Pages

15