Pragmatic Transfer

By -
Pragmatic transfer: The use of rules of speaking from one’s own native speech community when interacting with members of the host community or simply when speaking or writing in a second language is known as sociolinguistic or pragmatic transfer. (Wolfson, 1989)

Speech Act of Refusal


TABLE 1 Typical Order of Semantic Formulas in Refusals of Requests
                                                                                          Order
Refuser status        Group*            1                      2                      3                      4
Lower                    JJ         Apology (cf. regret#)  Excuse       (promise)        Nonverbal
                                                                                                                        Avoidance

                              JE        Regret                          Excuse             ____                _____
                              AE       Pos. opinion/               Regret              Excuse             _____
                                          Pause filler

Higher                   JJ         Pos. opinion/               Excuse             _____              ______
                                          Empathy
                              JE        Pos. opinion/               Excuse             _____              ______
                                          Empathy         
                              AE       Pos. opinion                Regret              Excuse             Can’t
*JJ = Japanese speaking Japanese; JE = Japanese speaking English (in the U.S.); AE = Americans speaking English; ( ) = Optional
# Apology and regret are distinct in Japanese, but may both be realized as “I’m sorry” in English. JE “I’m sorry” responses are coded as regret, not apology, although they could be translations from Japanese apologies.

 Speech Act of Apology

      TABLE 2 Average Frequency of Semantic Formulas in Native Speech
                                                      English            Russian           Hebrew
Apology                                        80                    70                    56
Explanation                                   63                    27                    43
Responsibility                               52                    45                    31
Repair                                            46                    19                    36
Forbearance                                   10                    13                      5
                                          English > Russian > Hebrew

TABLE 3 English Speakers in English and Hebrew – Average Frequencies
                              English native              English in Hebrew                  Hebrew native
Apology                80                                72                                >          56
Explanation           63                                47                                >          43
Responsibility       52                                50                                >          31
Repair                    46                                22                                <          36
Forbearance             7                                  6                                =            5

TABLE 4 Russian Speakers in Russian and Hebrew – Average Frequencies
                                          Russian                                               Russian in Hebrew
Apology                            70                                                        71
Explanation                       27                                                        46       
Responsibility                   45                                                        46
Repair                                19                                                        31
Forbearance                       13                                                        42

 Speech Act of Request

TABLE 5 Use of Directive Types in 8 Items (Typical Responses)
                                          Hebrew
Native Speakers (32)                Learners (19)             English
Native Speakers (10)  

      1. D3         Ata yaxol (69%)                      Same (42%)                Could you lend
                        (Can you lend me…)                                                   it to me? (7)    

       2. D9        Ata muxan (63%)                    (1) Same (21%)           Would you call
                        (Are you ready to notify?)       (2) Ata roce…(16%)    them (7)
                                                                        (Do you want to?)
       3. D10      Ulay tixtov (75%)                   Same (37%)                Why don’t you write
                        (Maybe you’ll write)                                                   to grandma? (8)
       4. D17      Ulay ata telex (69%)                (1) Same (42%)           Could you go? (6)
                        (Maybe you’ll go?)                 (2) Ata yaxol (32%)
                                                                        (Can you go?)
       5. D7        Esfar Leqabel (56%)               (1) Same (42%)           Would it be possible
                        (Is it possible to get                 (2) At yexola latet        to get a discount? (3)
                        a discount?)                                         (32%)             
                                                                        (Can you give me..)
       6. D1        Esfar Leqabel (69%)               (1) Same (26%)           Can we see the menu
                        (Is it possible to get the           (2) Tavi..(37%)           please? (4)
                        menu?)                                    (Bring me the menu)   Could we have the
                                                                                                            menu please?(6)
       7. D8        Ta’azov oti bimnuxa                (1) Same (31%)           Get lost(7)
                        (66%)                                      (2) “I am not               
                        (Leave me alone)                          interested” (63%)
       8. D2        Taziz et hamxonit                    (1) Same (49%)           It’s a no stopping
                        (78%)                                                                          zone (6)

a. The responses presented in Table 2 are: (1) The most frequent responses of native speakers, (2) the most frequent responses for learners, and (3) forms of special interest used by learners.
b. The forms are presented by items because it is believed that the situations depicted by the dialogues on the test are not equivalent in their potential range of acceptable directive types. This can be seen by the variation across items in the native speakers’ responses.
c. Agreement on choice of directive type among native speakers reached 78 precent (D2) in some cases, while among learners it never exceeded 42 percent.
d. Note that more learners used “is it possible to get” in the context where it can be interpreted literally (D7) than in the context where it is used as a conventional indirect form of request (D1).
e. Included in the 63 percent were all responses that hinted at the girls’ wish to be left alone.

                                    D2                   Driver and the policeman
                                    Policeman:       Is that your car there?
                                    Driver:             Yes. I left it there only for a few minutes.
                                    Policeman:       _________________________________
                                    Driver:             O.K. O.K. I’m sorry. I’ll move at once.


Comments

  1. Dr. Cary Lane8:24 PM

    Dr. Warsi: thank you for this magnificent blog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jilani Warsi1:21 PM

    Dr. Lane: Thanks for supporting my blog.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Schumann’s Acculturation Model

By -
Image
Schumann's Acculturation Model Consider how these social and psychological factors affect the extent of the learner’s capacity to learn his or her second language (L2).   Schumann asserts that the more distance created between the L2 learner and his or her target language (TL) culture by such factors, the less contact s/he will have with the TL culture and thus the lower will his or her expected L2 proficiency be. Furthermore, he considers the social factors to be the prime influences; the psychological factors come into play and become the deciding factors only in situations where the combined social factors create neither positive nor negative circumstances for the learner.   Which outcomes of each of these factors make for a bad learning situation and which ones for a good learning situation? Consider as many as apply to your group’s learner testimonial. Social Distance Factors Social dominance : Is the learner’s native group dominant to, equal to, or subor...
Keep reading

Knowing a Word

By -
Image
Knowing a Word   Fluent native speakers intuitively know how to use a lexical item in the appropriate context. They can even determine meaning of an unfamiliar word when it is written or spoken. However, second language learners may not understand what constitutes knowledge of vocabulary. This post delineates the various strands of vocabulary non-native speakers need to acquire to become highly proficient in writing and speaking in their second language.  1. Word meaning:  Knowing a word entails understanding it when it is written and/or spoken by      others in formal contexts. Native speakers do this readily without asking for clarification, but      second language learners need to acquire this tacit knowledge of vocabulary.  2. Recall: A fluent speaker of a language can recall a word when it is needed in writing or in speech.     S/he can incorporate the needed word while speaking without looking it up...
Keep reading

English Pronunciation for Turkish Speakers

By -
Image
Areas of Difficulty for Turkish Speakers Consonants: I.    /t/ & /d/: When Turkish speakers of English pronounce these alveolar consonants, they touch the back of their upper teeth with the tip of their tongue. Instead, try to form a constriction by touching your alveolar ridge (the area behind your upper teeth) with the tip of your tongue. Pronounce these sounds in different phonological environments such as word-initial, medial, and final position and in consonant clusters. tiresome      little      brat       staple    burst     crest                  totalitarianism automatic    trickster            cattle     dental    tirade    tardy     training technique    tangle...
Keep reading