Navigating Power, Politeness, and Personal Boundaries: A Thematic Study of Refusals in L2 Pragmatics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31949/ijeir.v4i2.15293Abstract
Refusal strategies represent a significant dimension in pragmatic studies, particularly due to their role in maintaining harmony in cross-cultural communication. Among learners of English as a second language (L2), these strategies are often shaped by local cultural norms, influencing how individuals interpret and respond to invitations or requests. Purpose: This study investigates how cultural background informs the use of refusal strategies in pragmatic speech acts among L2 English speakers. It specifically focuses on cultural values such as power hierarchy, politeness, and personal boundaries as manifested in the refusal strategies employed by speakers from an Outer Circle context (Kachru, 1982). Methods: A qualitative approach with thematic analysis was adopted. Data were collected using an online Discourse Completion Task (DCT) featuring four social scenarios (i.e., interactions with a supervisor, professor, coworker, and peer). Forty Filipino university students, all L2 English speakers, participated in the study. Data were analysed through open coding and thematic categorisation using Atlas.ti software. Results: The analysis revealed six key themes: (1) authority and power distance, (2) autonomy and boundary setting, (3) honesty and self-disclosure, (4) politeness and face-saving strategies, (5) justification of rejection, and (6) social relationship management. Refusal acts function not only as linguistic expressions but also as reflections of cultural values, particularly respect, honesty, autonomy, and social harmony. Implications: The findings offer insights for intercultural pragmatic pedagogy and underscore the importance of culturally responsive materials in English language teaching.
Keywords:
L2 Pragmatics, Refusal Strategies, Cultural Background, Thematic Analysis, Outer Circle EnglishDownloads
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