scholarly journals Situational Variations in Request and Apology Realization Strategies among International Postgraduate Students at Malaysian Universities

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paramasivam Muthusamy ◽  
Atieh Farashaiyan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Written Discourse ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Completion Task ◽  
Data Collection Procedure

<p>The present study attempted to describe the request, apology, and request mitigation strategies utilized by international postgraduate students in confronting different situations. In addition, it examined the effects of the situational factors of social distance, power, and imposition on the students’ choice of request and apology strategies as well as the modifications in requests. Another objective has been to categorize the difficulties students face in the production of the speech acts. One hundred and thirty international postgraduate students majoring in different fields voluntarily participated in this study. A Written Discourse Completion Task Questionnaire (Liu, 2005) and semi-structured interview were utilized for data collection procedure. The results of the questionnaire illustrated that the participants made use of IFID strategy for apologies and conventionally indirect expressions (Preparatory questions) for requests more frequently than other strategies. Moreover, the situational factors of social distance, power and imposition did not affect the participants’ choice of request and apology strategies but they had some influences on the use of mitigating strategies in different situations. Regarding modifiers, the students opted out external modifications (66.6%) more than internal modifiers (33.3%). Among the external mitigation types, “please” with 21% and grounders with 25% respectively have been utilized more than other external mitigation types. Finally, the results of the interviews indicated that the difficulties that students face in the production of the speech acts were grammar, expression, vocabulary and structure. This study has some implications for second language acquisition research and intercultural communication.</p>

scholarly journals Pragmatic Variations in Giving Advice in L2 by Malaysian Postgraduate Students: The Situational Effects

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Atieh Farashaiyan ◽  
Paramasivam Muthusamy
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
First Language ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Written Discourse ◽  
Similar Frequency ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Situational Variables ◽  
Situational Effects

<p>The present study attempted to describe the giving advice strategies utilized by Malaysian postgraduate students in confronting different situations. In addition, it examined the effects of the situational factors of social distance, power, and imposition on the students’ choice of giving advice strategies. Another objective was to categorize the challenges students face in the production of giving advice in English. One hundred and ten Malaysian postgraduate students majoring in different fields voluntarily participated in this study. A Written Discourse Completion Task Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were utilized for data collection procedure. The results of the questionnaire illustrated that the respondents tended to use more direct strategies to give advice. The first most frequently strategy used by the respondents was obligation strategy, 53.38%., mood derivable strategy with 30.08% as the second most frequently used strategy and performative as the third one, while no respondent used the hedged performative and want statement strategies in any of the situations. The respondents also opted out the same strategies almost with similar frequency in most of the situations. It means that the choice of strategies was not different in terms of the three situational variables of power, distance and imposition. In addition, the results of interviews showed that the challenges they face in the production of advice giving include expression, structure, culture, social values, first language, gender, age and educational background of the interlocutors. This study has some implications for second language acquisition research and intercultural communication.</p>

Pragmatic instruction in L2-Russian

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-95
Author(s):  
Daniele Artoni ◽  
Valentina Benigni ◽  
Elena Nuzzo
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Written Discourse ◽  
Instructional Treatment ◽  
Completion Task ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
National Corpus ◽  
Pragmatic Instruction

Over the last three decades, a growing number of studies have investigated the effects of instruction on the acquisition of pragmatic features in L2. The bulk of this research has focused mainly on the teaching of English as a second/foreign language. However, instructional pragmatic studies in L2-Russian are lacking. The main purpose of our study is to contribute towards filling this gap by analysing the effects of pragmatic instruction on the acquisition of two speech acts by Italian learners of Russian. Furthermore, we aim to explore whether the Multimodal Russian Corpus (MURCO), a multimedia subcorpus of the Russian National Corpus, can be an effective tool for teaching speech acts in L2-Russian. Our research was composed of one experimental group (n = 18) and one control group (n = 11); each was composed of two intact classes of Italian university students at an intermediate level of L2-Russian, who were pre- and post-tested using a written discourse completion task. The experimental group was subjected to a programme of pragmatic instruction – eight thirty-minute MURCO-based lessons devoted to requests and advice, while the control group was taught according to the standard syllabus, that is, with no pragmatic instruction. The results revealed that the use of the target pragmatic features varied significantly in the experimental group, but not in the control group, thus showing a general positive effect of the instructional treatment based on the MURCO corpus. However, some limitations were identified with regard to the usability of this tool by teachers and learners.

Speech acts of request and apology realised by Czech students of English as a foreign language: Selected findings of a pilot study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Lahodová
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Similar Data ◽  
Written Discourse ◽  
Oral Production ◽  
Pilot Investigation ◽  
Shed Light

During the second half of the 20th century, there was a shift in focus in second-language-acquisition research from linguistic competence to communicative and pragmatic competence (Hymes 1972, Canale & Swain 1980, Bachman 1990, Bachman & Palmer 1996, Usó-Juan & Martínez-Flor 2006). This resulted in a growing number of studies on speech acts in general. Motivated by a lack of studies on the speech acts of apology in conversations of Czech learners of English as a foreign language, my study aims to shed light on request and apology strategies used by Czech university students. The aim of this paper is to present the findings of a pilot investigation into the speech acts of apology and request. The first aim of the study is to compare two data collection techniques: the open-ended written discourse completion task (DCT) and the oral production task (OPT). The second aim is to investigate the use of request and apology strategies by Czech learners of English. The findings suggest that both of the data collection techniques produced very similar data. In terms of requests, most respondents opted for a conventional indirect strategy. In terms of apologies, respondents opted for statements of remorse, offers of repair and account.

Terminology in Interlanguage Pragmatics

2004 ◽  
Vol 143-144 ◽  
pp. 109-119
Author(s):  
Giao Quynh Tran
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Interlanguage Pragmatics ◽  
Pragmatic Transfer ◽  
Large Corpus

Abstract Inter language pragmatics research has spanned a number of different areas in second language acquisition and pragmatics. In the large corpus of interlanguage pragmatics studies, basic terms such as “interlanguage pragmatics”, “speech acts” and “pragmatic transfer” have been referred to more often than not. But rarely have we stopped to re-evaluate the applicability and appropriateness of these terms. This paper aims to properly interpret or redefine their meanings and to propose more appropriate terms where possible.

Second Language Acquisition Research and Language Pedagogy: A Critical View

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Talebinejad ◽  
Aasa Moattarian
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Language Pedagogy ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Class 1 ◽  
Research Findings

<p class="1"><span lang="X-NONE">Over the past several decades, a substantial body of research on second language acquisition has been provided. The current study was an attempt to investigate language teachers’ views on applying research findings in their every day practice of language teaching through a critical lens. Data for this qualitative study was collected by means of a semi structured interview with 10 language teachers teaching English at different language institutes in Iran. Analyses of data revealed that, although teachers find second language acquisition research a useful tool for their professional development; they do not usually consult bodies of research in their every day teaching practice. They report problems in applying second language research in their practice due to problems with practicality, particularity, and possibility. The findings suggest that language teachers need to be exposed to insight from SLA research and practice.</span></p>

scholarly journals The Effect of Instruction on Learners' Pragmatic Awareness: a Focus on Refusals

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Alcón Soler ◽  
Josep Guzmán Pitarch
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
Pragmatic Awareness ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
Instructional Contexts

The benefits of instruction on learners’ production and awareness of speech acts is well documented (see Alcón and Martínez-Flor, 2008, for a review of pragmatics in instructional contexts). However, few studies examine the influence that instruction may have on the cognitive processes involved in speech act production (Félix- Brasdefer, 2008). In order to address this research gap, and taking into account the discussion in research on the concept of attention and related terms such as awareness (see Al-Hejin, 2004, for a review of the role of attention and awareness in second language acquisition research) this paper reports on the benefits of instruction on learners’ attention and awareness during the performance of refusals. Thus, based on a pedagogical proposal for teaching refusals at the discourse level, we focus on the benefits that this pedagogical proposal can have on the information attended to during the planning and execution of refusals. Secondly, we explore whether instruction makes a difference in learners’ awareness of refusals.

scholarly journals IDENTICAL WORD MEANING “INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION” IN THE CONTEXT OF CORPUS-BASED SENTENCES

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-195
Author(s):  
Mega Febriani Sya ◽  
Ninuk Lustyantie ◽  
Miftahulkhairah Anwar
Keyword(s):  
Speech Acts ◽  
First Language ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Occurrence Rate ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Meaning Interpretation ◽  
Authentic Data ◽  
Data Collection Procedure

For students whose first language is not a native English speaker, at first glance they will interpret the words "translation" and "interpretation" with the same meaning. Both are indeed similar and both function to transfer one language to another. This study aims to identify the frequency of occurrence of the words "translation" and "interpretation" in several situations in different speech contexts. The method used in this study is the corpus method, to see a large set of authentic data which provides clearer information about the frequency of occurrence of the words "translation" and "interpretation" in several actual contexts of different speech acts. The data collection procedure on the corpus and its analysis uses the facilities provided by the corpus page, namely "chart". The results show that the comparison of the frequency of occurrence of the words "translation" and "interpretation" in the context of different speech shows a significant difference, the word interpretation has a higher occurrence rate of 4282 times than translation, which appeared 1405 times.   The meaning of this finding is that the word interpretation is more widely used in the context of formal academic sentences because interpretation does not only have a meaning for itself but can also function as a continuation of meaning from the translation.  

scholarly journals Assessment of the Level of Knowledge on Autism among the Mothers of Toddlers in Selected Village, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu, India

2021 ◽  
pp. 160-164
Author(s):  
M. Nandhini ◽  
T. R. Manjula ◽  
M. Maria Auxilli Jenifer
Keyword(s):  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Repetitive Behavior ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Inadequate Knowledge ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Prior Permission ◽  
Data Collection Procedure

Background: Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Mothers of toddlers should have knowledge on Autism to identify the child in earlier age and to treat the child. Objectives: The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge on autism among the mothers of toddlers. The objectives were to find out the level of knowledge on autism among the mothers and to find out the association between the level of knowledge on autism and selected demographic variables of the mothers of toddlers. Materials and Methods: A non-experimental, descriptive study was conducted. The sampling technique was snow ball sampling technique with the sample of 50 mothers of toddlers and questionnaires were formulated, a structured interview schedule was used to assess the level of knowledge on autism among the mothers of toddlers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data. The data collection procedure was done for period of 2 weeks. The study was initiated after obtaining prior permission from the concern authorities. Results: The findings of this study revealed that 44% of the mothers of toddlers had inadequate knowledge, 44% had moderately adequate knowledge and only 2% had adequate knowledge on autism. There was significant association between level of knowledge and demographic variables such as age, occupation and previous knowledge on Autism of mothers of toddlers.

scholarly journals Atenuação de atos de fala diretivos em livros de PLE os procedimentos acompanhantes

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 155-197
Author(s):  
Patrícia Mariano Marcos ◽  
Paulo Pinheiro-Correa
Keyword(s):  
Speech Acts ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Lexical Resources

In this paper, a specific pragmatic type of request mitigation strategies (orders and requests) is analyzed in the dialogues of two Portuguese textbooks for foreigners, namely, the accompanying procedures, as classified by Kerbrat-Orecchioni (2005, 2006). The work is based on speech acts theory (Austin, 1962/1990; Searle, 1979/2002), on Goffman’s (1967/1980) concept of face and on Brown and Levinson’s (1987) concepts of positive and negative politeness. The results showed that mitigation strategies included not only lexical resources but also reformulation procedures and that the use of moderators, such as “please”, was among the most used lexical mitigation resources. The results also point out failures in the pragmatic treatment of the issue in the books analyzed.

Autism Voices: A novel method to access first-person perspective of autistic youth

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie Courchesne ◽  
Rackeb Tesfaye ◽  
Pat Mirenda ◽  
David Nicholas ◽  
Wendy Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
First Person ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Minimally Verbal ◽  
Person Perspective

Opportunities to communicate first-person perspectives are essential for self-determination. However, many autistic youth are excluded from sharing their perspectives, specifically those who are minimally verbal or with lower intellectual functioning. Current challenges to capturing their voices include a lack of appropriate inclusive methodologies. Propose an inclusive strength-oriented method to capture first-person perspectives of autistic adolescents. Our protocol (“Autism Voices”) includes a pre-interview survey and semi-structured interview using universal design strategies. It was piloted with 33 participants who were representative of diverse language and cognitive abilities. A coding scheme was developed to identify communicative acts used by participants and mitigation strategies used by interviewers to enhance communication. Interviewer strategies that enhanced communication included question formulation, use of pictures, offering various output modalities, and flexible implementation of the protocol. Non-verbal and alternative communication responses (e.g. choosing to not respond) were informative to youth’s lived experience, especially for minimally verbal participants. Overall, our results highlight that communication goes beyond verbally answering questions and that participants’ unconventional communication conveyed rich information. Autism Voices provides a promising method to promote the inclusion of autistic youth in research. Lay Abstract The perspective of autistic individuals is often left uncaptured, and as a result they are often excluded from making decisions that impact them. Conventional communication can be challenging for many autistic individuals, especially those who are minimally verbal or who have an associated intellectual disability. Currently, a lack of appropriate methods to capture voices across the spectrum is a barrier. In the present study, we developed the Autism Voices protocol using universal design principles to capture the perspectives and experiences of autistic youth with a range of language or intellectual abilities. This protocol was then used with 33 autistic youth aged 11 to 18 years. A scoring rubric was developed to capture the unconventional communication used by the participants and the mitigation strategies used by interviewers to facilitate the interview. Many components of the protocol were found to effectively facilitate communication between the participant and interviewer, including the use of picture cards to support verbal questions/prompts, the fact that participants could respond with their preferred communication methods (writing, texting, pointing), and the fact that interviews were applied flexibly to adapt to each participant. Unconventional communication and mitigation strategies were mostly observed in interviews with minimally verbal individuals, but a fine-grained analysis showed participants were still communicating something through this unconventional communication. Our protocol could help promote the inclusion of more autistic individuals in research and showed that unconventional modes of communication like echolalia provide an understanding that participants’ are invested in conversations and certain topics are more meaningful than others.

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