1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Applied Pragmatics
  4. Volume 6, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 6, Issue 1
  • ISSN 2589-109X
  • E-ISSN: 2589-1103
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

This exploratory study examined the intonational patterns and corresponding speech act strategies in L1 and L2 English speakers’ production of high imposition requests and refusals that were elicited using video-based multiple turn discourse completion tasks (DCTs). The participants, 34 L1 American English speakers and 14 high-proficiency L2 English speakers, recorded their oral responses to 10 multiple-turn video-based DCTs. Using Brazil’s (1997) framework, the collected speech samples were analyzed for tone choices in each tone unit. Pragmatic strategies in the produced speech acts were analyzed by adapting the existing coding frameworks (Beebe et al., 1990Blum-Kulka et al., 1989). The extracted tone choices and lexico-mathematical strategies were compared between the two language groups. The results preliminarily revealed differences in the use of tones by L1 and L2 English speakers in performing requests and refusals. Moreover, while the employed speech act strategies were largely similar between the two speaker groups, the associated tone choices showed contrasting usage patterns.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/ap.21017.kos
2024-01-18
2025-04-18

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/ap.21017.kos
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Al-Gahtani, S., & Roever, C.
    (2012) Proficiency and Sequential Organization of L2 Requests. Applied Linguistics, 33(1), 42–65. 10.1093/applin/amr031
     https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amr031 [Google Scholar]
  2. (2018) Proficiency and preference organization in second language refusals. Journal of Pragmatics, 1291, 140–153. 10.1016/j.pragma.2018.01.014
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2018.01.014 [Google Scholar]
  3. Al-Issa, A.
    (2003) Sociocultural transfer in L2 speech behaviors: Evidence and motivating factors. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27(5), 581–601. 10.1016/S0147‑1767(03)00055‑5
     https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00055-5 [Google Scholar]
  4. Al Masaeed, K., Taguchi, N., & Tamimi, M.
    (2020) Proficiency effects on l2 Arabic refusals: Appropriateness, linguistic strategies and multidialectal practices. Applied Pragmatics, 2(1), 26–53. 10.1075/ap.19007.mas
     https://doi.org/10.1075/ap.19007.mas [Google Scholar]
  5. Anderson-Hsieh, J., Johnson, R., & Koehler, K.
    (1992) The relationship between native speaker judgments of nonnative pronunciation and deviance in segmentals, prosody, and syllable structure. Language Learning, 42(4), 529–555. 10.1111/j.1467‑1770.1992.tb01043.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1992.tb01043.x [Google Scholar]
  6. Anwyl-Irvine, A. L., Massonié, J., Flitton, A., Kirkham, N. Z., Evershed, J. K.
    (2020) Gorilla in our midst: An online behavioural experiment builder. Behavior Research Methods, 521, 388–207. 10.3758/s13428‑019‑01237‑x
     https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-019-01237-x [Google Scholar]
  7. Austin, J. L.
    (1962) How to do things with words. Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Beebe, L. M., Takahashi, T., & Uliss-Weltz, R.
    (1990) Pragmatic transfer in ESL refusals. InE. S. Andersen, R. C. Scarcella, & S. D. Krashen (Eds.), Developing communicative competence in a second language, (pp.55–73). Heinle & Heinle.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Bella, S.
    (2012) Pragmatic development in a foreign language: A study of Greek FL requests. Journal of Pragmatics, 44(13), 1917–1947. 10.1016/j.pragma.2012.08.014
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2012.08.014 [Google Scholar]
  10. Blum-Kulka, S., House, J., & Kasper, G.
    (1989) Investigating cross-cultural pragmatics: An introductory overview. InS. Blum-Kulka, J. House, & G. Kasper (Eds.), Cross-cultural pragmatics: Requests and apologies (pp.1–34). Ablex Publishing Corporation.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Blum-Kulka, S., & Olshtain, E.
    (1986) Too many words: Length of utterance and pragmatic failure. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, (8)21, 165–179. 10.1017/S0272263100006069
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100006069 [Google Scholar]
  12. Boersma, P., & Weenink, D.
    (2021) Praat, v. 6.2.10. Retrievable online atwww.praat.org
  13. Brazil, D.
    (1997) The communicative value of intonation in English. Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C.
    (1987) Politeness: Some universals in language usage (Vol.41). Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511813085
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511813085 [Google Scholar]
  15. Chen, H. J.
    (1996) Cross-cultural comparison of English and Chinese metapragmatics in refusal (Publication No. 9640110) [Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
  16. Chen, S. C., & Chen, S. H. E.
    (2007) Effects of social status on American and Taiwanese EFL learners’ production of English refusals. Samara AltLinguo, 11, 7–34.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Chikulaeva, A., & D’Imperio, M.
    (2018) The expression of politeness and pitch height in Russian imperatives. Speech Prosody, 438–442. 10.21437/SpeechProsody.2018‑89
     https://doi.org/10.21437/SpeechProsody.2018-89 [Google Scholar]
  18. Council of Europe
    Council of Europe (2020) Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Culpeper, J., Mackey, A., & Taguchi, N.
    (2018) Second language pragmatics: From theory to research. Routledge. 10.4324/9781315692388
     https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315692388 [Google Scholar]
  20. Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J.
    (1997) Accent, intelligibility, and comprehensibility: Evidence from four L1s. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 19(1), 1–16. 10.1017/S0272263197001010
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263197001010 [Google Scholar]
  21. Eslami, Z. R.
    (2010) Refusals. InA. Martínez-Flor & E. Usó-Juan (Eds.), Speech act performance: Theoretical, empirical, and methodological issues (pp.217–236). John Benjamins. 10.1075/lllt.26.13esl
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.26.13esl [Google Scholar]
  22. Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A.
    (2007) G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191. 10.3758/BF03193146
     https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146 [Google Scholar]
  23. Félix-Brasdefer, J. C.
    (2003) Refusals in Spanish and English: A cross-cultural study of politeness strategies among speakers of Mexican Spanish, American English, and American learners of Spanish as a foreign language (Publication No. 3047626) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
  24. (2008) Politeness in Mexico and the United States: A contrastive study of the realization and perception of refusals. John Benjamins. 10.1075/pbns.171
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.171 [Google Scholar]
  25. (2013) Refusing in L2 Spanish: The effects of the context of learning during a short-term study abroad program. InP. Salazar-Campillo & O. Marti-Arnandiz (Eds.), Refusals in instructional contexts and beyond (pp.147–173). Rodopi. 10.1163/9789401209717_009
     https://doi.org/10.1163/9789401209717_009 [Google Scholar]
  26. Geyang, Z.
    (2007) A pilot study on refusal to suggestions in English by Japanese and Chinese EFL learners. Bulletin of the Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima University Part 2 Arts and Science Education, 561, 155–163.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Herrero, C., & Devís, E.
    (2020) Unintentional impolite intonation in L2 Spanish requests produced by Chinese workers living in Madrid. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Speech Prosody 2020, Tokyo, Japan, 848–852. 10.21437/SpeechProsody.2020‑173
     https://doi.org/10.21437/SpeechProsody.2020-173 [Google Scholar]
  28. House, J., & Kasper, G.
    (1987) Interlanguage pragmatics: Requesting in a foreign language. InW. Lörschner & R. Schulze (Eds.), Perspectives on language in performance (pp.1250–1288). Gunter Narr.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Ikeda, N.
    (2017) Measuring L2 oral pragmatic abilities for use in social contexts: Development and validation of an assessment instrument for L2 pragmatics performance in university settings [Doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne]. Minerva Access.
  30. Kang, O., & Kermad, A.
    (2019) Prosody in L2 pragmatics research. InN. Taguchi (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and pragmatics, (pp.78–92). Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Kang, O., Kermad, A., & Taguchi, N.
    (2021) The effect of study abroad and proficiency on speech acts. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation. 10.1075/jslp.20024.kan
     https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.20024.kan [Google Scholar]
  32. Kecskes, I.
    (2004) The role of salience in processing pragmatic units. Acta Linguistica Hungarica (Since 2017 Acta Linguistica Academica), 51(3–4), 309–324. 10.1556/ALing.51.2004.3‑4.4
     https://doi.org/10.1556/ALing.51.2004.3-4.4 [Google Scholar]
  33. Knowles, G.
    (2016) Patterns of spoken English: An introduction to English phonetics. Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Kodzasov, S., Krasovitsky, A., & Shigel, E.
    (2002) Issues in describing spectra of Russian vowels. Nauka, 53–72.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Koike, D. A.
    (1989) Pragmatic competence and adult L2 acquisition: Speech acts in interlanguage. The Modern Language Journal, 73(3), 279–289. 10.1111/j.1540‑4781.1989.tb06364.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1989.tb06364.x [Google Scholar]
  36. Krulatz, A., & Dixon, T.
    (2020) The use of refusal strategies in interlanguage speech act performance of Korean and Norwegian users of English. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 10(4), 751–777. 10.14746/ssllt.2020.10.4.5
     https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2020.10.4.5 [Google Scholar]
  37. Li, W., & Jiang, W.
    (2019) Requests made by Australian learners of Chinese as a foreign language. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 10(1), 23–34. 10.17507/jltr.1001.03
     https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1001.03 [Google Scholar]
  38. Lin, P. M.
    (2013) The prosody of formulaic expression in the IBM/Lancaster Spoken English Corpus. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 18(4), 561–588. 10.1075/ijcl.18.4.05lin
     https://doi.org/10.1075/ijcl.18.4.05lin [Google Scholar]
  39. Martínez-Flor, A. & Usó-Juan, E.
    (Eds.) (2010) Speech act performance: Theoretical, empirical and methodological issues. John Benjamins. 10.1075/lllt.26
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.26 [Google Scholar]
  40. O’Keeffe, A., Clancy, B., & Adolphs, S.
    (2019) Introducing pragmatics in use. Routledge. 10.4324/9780429342950
     https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429342950 [Google Scholar]
  41. Pickering, L.
    (2001) The role of tone choice in improving ITA communication in the classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 35(2), 233–255. 10.2307/3587647
     https://doi.org/10.2307/3587647 [Google Scholar]
  42. (2009) Intonation as a pragmatic resource in ELF interaction. Intercultural Pragmatics, 6(2), 235–255. 10.1515/IPRG.2009.013
     https://doi.org/10.1515/IPRG.2009.013 [Google Scholar]
  43. (2018) Discourse intonation: A discourse-pragmatic approach to teaching the pronunciation of English. University of Michigan Press. 10.3998/mpub.6731
     https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.6731 [Google Scholar]
  44. Pierrehumbert, J., & Hirschberg, J.
    (1990) The meaning of intonational contours in English. InP. R. Cohen, J. Morgan, & M. E. Pollack (Eds.), Intentions in communication (pp.271–311). MIT Press. 10.7551/mitpress/3839.003.0016
     https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/3839.003.0016 [Google Scholar]
  45. Ramírez-Verdugo, M. D.
    (2008) A cross-linguistic study on the pragmatics of intonation in directives. InJ. Romero-Trillo (Ed.), Pragmatics and corpus linguistics (pp.205–233). De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110199024.205
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110199024.205 [Google Scholar]
  46. Romero-Trillo, J.
    (2019) Prosodic pragmatics and feedback in intercultural communication. Journal of Pragmatics, 1511, 91–102. 10.1016/j.pragma.2019.02.018
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2019.02.018 [Google Scholar]
  47. Rose, K. R.
    (2009) Interlanguage pragmatics development in Hong Kong, phase 2. Journal of Pragmatics, 41(11), 2345–2364. 10.1016/j.pragma.2009.04.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2009.04.002 [Google Scholar]
  48. Salgado, E. F.
    (2011) The pragmatics of requests and apologies: Developmental patterns of Mexican students. John Benjamins. 10.1075/pbns.212
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.212 [Google Scholar]
  49. Spencer-Oatey, H.
    (1997) Unequal relationships in high and low power distance societies: A comparative study of tutor-student role relations in Britain and China. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 28(3), 284–302. 10.1177/0022022197283005
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022197283005 [Google Scholar]
  50. Staples, S.
    (2015) The discourse of nurse-patient interactions: Contrasting the communicative styles of US and international nurses. John Benjamins. 10.1075/scl.72
     https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.72 [Google Scholar]
  51. Taguchi, N.
    (2006) Analysis of appropriateness in a speech act of request in L2 English. Pragmatics, 16(4), 513–533. 10.1075/prag.16.4.05tag
     https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.16.4.05tag [Google Scholar]
  52. (2012) Context, individual differences, and pragmatic competence. Multilingual Matters. 10.21832/9781847696106
     https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847696106 [Google Scholar]
  53. Taguchi, N., Gomez-Laich, M. P., & Arrufat-Marques, M. J.
    (2016) Comprehension of indirect meaning in Spanish as a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 49(4), 677–698. 10.1111/flan.12230
     https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12230 [Google Scholar]
  54. Taguchi, N., Hirschi, K., & Kang, O.
    (2021) Longitudinal L2 development in the prosodic marking of pragmatic meaning: Prosodic changes in L2 speech acts and individual factors. Studies in Second Language Acquisition. 10.1017/S0272263121000486
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263121000486 [Google Scholar]
  55. Taguchi, N., & Roever, C.
    (2017) Second language pragmatics. Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Takahashi, S.
    (1996) Pragmatic transferability. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 18(2), 189–223. 10.1017/S0272263100014881
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100014881 [Google Scholar]
  57. Takahashi, T., & Beebe, L. M.
    (1987) The development of pragmatic competence by Japanese learners of English. JALT Journal, 8(2), 131–155.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Tanck, S.
    (2002) Speech act sets of refusal and complaint: A comparison of native and non-native English speakers’ production. AU TESOL Working Papers, 21, 1–18.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. Tickle, A. L.
    (1991) Japanese refusals in a business setting. Papers in Applied Linguistics6(2), 84–108.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. Trosborg, A.
    (1995) Statutes and contracts: An analysis of legal speech acts in the English language of the law. Journal of Pragmatics, 23(1), 31–53. 10.1016/0378‑2166(94)00034‑C
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(94)00034-C [Google Scholar]
  61. (2011) Interlanguage pragmatics: Requests, complaints, and apologie. Walter de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
  62. Usó-Juan, E.
    (2010) Requests: A sociopragmatic approach. InA. Martínez-Flor & E. Usó-Juan (Eds.), Speech act performance: Theoretical, empirical, and methodological issues (pp.237–256). John Benjamins. 10.1075/lllt.26.14uso
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.26.14uso [Google Scholar]
  63. Wen, X.
    (2014) Pragmatic development: An exploratory study of requests by learners of Chinese. InZ. Han (Ed.), Studies in second language acquisition of Chinese (pp.30–56). Multilingual Matters. 10.21832/9781783092093‑004
     https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783092093-004 [Google Scholar]
  64. Wennerstrom, A.
    (2001) The music of everyday speech: Prosody and discourse analysis. Oxford University Press. 10.1093/oso/9780195143218.001.0001
     https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195143218.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  65. Wichmann, A.
    (2000) Intonation in text and discourse. Longman.
     [Google Scholar]
  66. Woodfield, H.
    (2008) Interlanguage requests: a contrastive study. InM. Pütz & JoAnne Neff-van Aertselaer (Eds.), Developing Contrastive Pragmatics. Interlanguage and Cross-Cultural Perspectives, (pp.231–264). De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110207217.3.231
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110207217.3.231 [Google Scholar]
  67. Youn, S. J.
    (2018) Task-based needs analysis of L2 pragmatics in an EAP context. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 361, 86–98. 10.1016/j.jeap.2018.10.005
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2018.10.005 [Google Scholar]
  68. Zhuang, Y.
    (2015) Evaluating the effectiveness of teaching intonation to learners in an intensive English program. (Publication No 3713925) [Doctoral dissertation, Northern Arizona University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
/content/journals/10.1075/ap.21017.kos
Loading
An exploratory study of intonational variation in L1 and L2 English speakers’ pragmatic production of high imposition requests and refusals
Applied Pragmatics 6, 1 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1075/ap.21017.kos
/content/journals/10.1075/ap.21017.kos
/content/journals/10.1075/ap.21017.kos
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): L2 pragmatics; prosody; refusals; requests; speech acts

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error