Considering the importance of pragmatic competence, this paper analyzed the speech acts for requesting and apologizing strategies between native and non-native speakers of English. To analyze written discourse in the classrooms, four international secondary schools in Dubai, UAE have been selected. The study was conducted in the second semester of the academic year 2012-2013. The study is not controlled for gender as this factor does not have a significant impact on this study, while the age is controlled. In order to analyze written discourse, a mixed methods research for speech acts of requests and apologies was applied.
To this end, the DCT of Blum-Kulka et al. was adapted and developed by the researcher. Every DCT contains eight scripted scenarios for requests and the same number of scripted scenarios for apologies. Each describes situations that specify social distance, imposition and power between the participants. The dependent variables are requests and speech act sets of apologies, while the independent variables are social distance, size of imposition, power. In this study, all these variables could be low (L) or High (H).The data revealed that there are some similarities between the participants, supporting the fact that there are universal politeness strategies. However, the data also revealed some differences between the native and non-native speakers' strategies.
Table of Contents
1 Background of the Study
1.1 Introduction
1.2 A rationale for the choice of topic
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Questions of the study
2 Literature Review
2.1 Communicative competence and pragmatic competence
2.2 Interlanguage pragmatics
2.3 Cross-Cultural pragmatics
2.4 Speech Act theory
2.5 Politeness Theory
2.6 International and local Cultural Studies
3 Methodology
3.1 Data collection and Data analysis
3.2 The adaptation of the Discourse completion test
3.3 Samples
4 Findings of requesting and apologizing strategies
4.1 Requests & Apologies
5. Discussion
6. Pedagogical Implications
7 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this research is to identify and compare the speech act strategies for requesting and apologizing used by 13-15 year-old native and non-native English speakers. By analyzing written discourse through a mixed-methods approach, the study investigates how social distance, relative power, and size of imposition influence linguistic production in order to highlight differences in pragmatic competence.
- Pragmatic competence in second language acquisition
- Cross-cultural differences in speech act realization
- Comparative analysis of requesting and apologizing strategies
- Application of Politeness Theory in educational settings
- Pedagogical approaches to fostering intercultural awareness
Excerpt from the Book
1.1. Introduction
People interact differently due to the cultural differencess. For instance, in some countries, it is bad to speak when another person speaks, however, it is normal in other cultures (Cliff and Wierzbicka 1997). Furthermore, Willimas (1983) argues there are second language problems in learning lexical and syntax derived from the cultural differences. Communicative competence which is created by Hymes (1972) is one of the most crucial theories in SLA and cultural researches. It emphasizes on the neccessity of both the social context of the speakers and the Linguistic aspects (Hymes 1972). Consequently, the social-linguist has shifted from separated abstract language form into the real use in social context (Jie 2010).
Holiday (1992) stresses that the lack of the ethnographically oriented means analysis will lead to tissue rejection which means refuting the different cultures. Holiday (1994) stresses on the importance of the social context (social interaction) in and out classrooms. similarly, Alagozlu and Buyukozturk (2009) mentions that the language instruction should not only focus on the knowledge of lexis, syntax but also the pragmatic interests of discourse. Furthermore, the lack of both linguistic competence and communicative competence will lead to pragmatically errors(Jie 2010). finally, there is a need to study speech acts between the different culturally learners (Yule 2009).
Summary of Chapters
1 Background of the Study: Introduces the importance of communicative and pragmatic competence in cross-cultural interactions and establishes the research gap regarding adolescent learners.
2 Literature Review: Surveys core concepts including Speech Act Theory, Politeness Theory, and previous cross-cultural studies that define the theoretical framework for comparing pragmatic performance.
3 Methodology: Details the research design, including the use of Discourse Completion Tests (DCT) to gather data from native and non-native English speakers in an international school context.
4 Findings of requesting and apologizing strategies: Presents the quantitative data and statistical breakdown of various requesting and apologizing strategies used by the participant groups.
5. Discussion: Evaluates the findings by comparing the frequency and types of strategies used, identifying similarities and differences between native and non-native performance.
6. Pedagogical Implications: Offers practical recommendations for language teachers to integrate cultural awareness and pragmatic competence into the classroom.
7 Conclusion: Summarizes the key research findings and suggests the need for further studies on pragmatic competence across diverse cultural groups.
Keywords
Pragmatic competence, Speech Acts, Requesting strategies, Apologizing strategies, Interlanguage pragmatics, Cross-cultural communication, Politeness Theory, Discourse completion test, Adolescent learners, Communicative competence, Social distance, Relative power, Language acquisition, Cultural awareness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
This study focuses on analyzing and comparing the pragmatic strategies used by 13-15 year-old native and non-native English speakers when performing the speech acts of requesting and apologizing.
Which theoretical frameworks are used to ground this study?
The study relies on Hymes’ communicative competence, Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory, and the speech act classification systems provided by Blum-Kulka et al. and Cohen and Olshtain.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine how factors like social distance, size of imposition, and relative power influence how adolescents from different cultural backgrounds formulate requests and apologies in English.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The research uses a mixed-methods approach involving Discourse Completion Tests (DCTs) administered to 50 students in international schools, followed by a manual description and quantification of the collected data.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the literature review on pragmatic and communicative competence, the specific methodology used for data collection, and a detailed statistical analysis of the strategies identified in the participants' discourse.
Which keywords best describe the research?
The research is best characterized by terms such as pragmatic competence, speech acts, interlanguage pragmatics, and cross-cultural communication.
Why did the researcher focus specifically on adolescents?
The researcher identified a gap in the existing literature, noting that most comparative studies in cross-cultural pragmatics have focused on adult learners, leaving adolescents underrepresented.
What is the significance of the "Discourse Completion Test" used here?
The DCT is used because it provides a scripted, controlled scenario that allows the researcher to measure how participants believe people should respond in specific social situations, which is a standard method in pragmatics research.
- Quote paper
- Elsayed Mahmoud (Author), 2013, Speech acts' requesting and apologizing strategies by native and non-native adolescents English speakers. A comparative research on pragmatic competence, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/351007
