The Expressional Function of Communication Models in the Process of Learning a Foreign Language and Learning Experiences with the Culture of the Foreign Language

In our contribution, we ruminate on innovations in the process of learning a foreign language through an expressive function in the communication scheme of students learning a foreign language based on their learning experiences with the specifics of a foreign language culture. For the survey, we choose a request formulating because the request has a specific structure that is given by culture. We examine this phenomenon in the presence of social distance and power-power distance index (PDI). Within the request model, we focus on expressive factors such as compliments, intensifiers, minimizer, preparatory formula, supportive reasons, politeness markers, disarmament, consultative mechanisms, promises and a combination of previous factors. We arose from De Mooij's theory of communication styles in terms of the structure of the utterance, Hofstede's theory of cultural dimension and Diaz-Perez's theory of expression factors of a request. The aim of the paper is to explore communication models of expressive factors of foreign language students based on the power distance index (PDI). We are interested in what communication models are created by Slovak students of the English language (the influence of English and Slovak culture), given the communication style of low- and high-context communication. We simulate social situations with (PDI+) and without (PDI-) a presence of social power and distance. The research was carried out at the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra and 226 students took part. It comes out that communication models of expression factors are closely related to the PDI index.