Interactional perspectives on communicative needs of Zulu work seekers

Abstract

The interactional sociolinguists’ treatment of context and its contribution to understanding how sociocultural information enters into the interpretation of intent and evaluation of motives and abilities is examined. Negative perceptions of Zulus by white ‘gatekeepers’ are explained in terms of interactional asynchrony stemming from culture‐specific schemata, contextualisation cues and face‐saving strategies. These insights are incorporated in proposals for a programme to help Zulus to compete more effectively in commerce and industry.